The present study aimed to compare the antitumor effects of cascade primed immune (CAPRI) cells and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in vitro, through investigating cell morphology, proliferation, cytotoxic activity to tumor cells and the ability of these cells to secrete cytokines. Peripheral blood samples (50 ml) were obtained from three healthy volunteers and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from each via Ficoll-Conray density gradient centrifugation. Each suspension of PBMCs (1 x 10(6)/ml) was divided into two parts; CAPRI cells were obtained from one part through a series of induction, amplification and cytokine cultures, while CIK cells were obtained from the other part through induction with different cytokines. During the culture process, the proliferation and morphological changes were observed for the two cell types using Trypan blue staining. At day 14, the cytotoxic activity of the two cell types was examined through determining lactate dehydrogenase release in the presence of K562 leukemia cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In addition, secretory levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 were detected using enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) technology. The results revealed that at day 5 and 14 of culture, there were significantly fewer CAPRI cells compared with CIK cells (P<0.001), although the survival rate of each cell type was >95%. The cytotoxic activity of CAPRI cells towards the K562 cell line was effector-target ratio-dependent (40:1 and 20:1) with values of 55.1 ± 3.25 and 35.0 ± 2.65%, respectively, which were significantly reduced compared with the corresponding data in CIK cells, 60.0 ± 3.03 and 39.7 ± 3.42% (P=0.004 and 0.005, respectively). Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of CAPRI cells towards MCF-7 cells were 71.5 ± 3.06, 56.0 ± 3.76 and 40.2 ± 2.90% at effector-target ratios 40:1, 20:1 and 10:1, respectively. These data were significantly higher than the corresponding values in CIK cells, 65.4 ± 3.86, 49.5 ± 3.91 and 36.1 ± 3.73% (P=0.002, 0.003 and 0.02, respectively). As determined using ELISPOT technology at different cell concentrations (1 x 10(6)/ml and 5 x 10(5)/ml), IFN-γ secretion levels, determined by the number of spot-forming cells, of CAPRI cells were 126.2 ± 10.31 and 48.8 ± 10.99, respectively, which were significantly reduced compared with those of CIK cells, 409.3 ± 7.76 and 159.3 ± 15.45, respectively (P<0.001). IL-2 secretion levels in CAPRI cells were 325.1 ± 16.24 and 113.8 ± 11.29 at 1 x 10(6)/ml and 5 x 10(5)/ml, respectively, which were significantly increased compared with CIK cells, 212.0 ± 16.58 and 70.7 ± 10.57, respectively (P<0.001). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that CAPRI cells had a reduced proliferation rate compared with CIK cells as well as a less potent cytotoxic effect on K562 cells; however, the two cell types had potent cytotoxic activity towards solid tumor MCF-7 cells. In addition, CAPRI cells secreted lower levels of IFN-γ and increased levels of IL-2 compared with CIK cells. These results indicated that antitumor activities of CAPRI and CIK cells proceeded via different mechanisms.