Abstract
The evidence indicating the important role of natural killer (NK) cells in immune surveillance against tumours and certain infections is accumulating. Uraemic and dialysed patients are known to be at greater risk of infections and malignant diseases. NK cells were analysed in patients with advanced uraemia, and in patients treated with different dialysis techniques. Number of NK cells was morphologically identified as large granular lymphocytes in blood smears. NK activity was determined as mononuclear cell cytotoxicity against K562 cells. In a group of uraemic patients, large granular lymphocyte number was reduced to 39%, and NK activity to 41%-52% of control values. Large granular lymphocyte number and NK activity in patients haemodialysed on cuprophane membranes was significantly reduced, compared to corresponding values in controls and uraemic patients, declining to 17% and 8%-16% of respective control values. In a group of patients treated by CAPD, and in a group haemodialysed on polyacrylonitrile membranes, NK activity was close to values in the uraemic group, but significantly greater than those of cuprophane-haemodialysed patients. Haemodialysis on cuprophane membranes has an additional negative effect on NK cells, which are already seriously depressed by the uraemic state.
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