Natural Killer Activity Of Blood Lymphocytes Research Articles

In vitro radiosensitivity of the spontaneous cytotoxicity of blood lymphocytes in patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease

The in vitro X-ray sensitivity of the natural killer (NK) cell activity and interferon (IFN)-inducible NK activity of blood lymphocytes obtained from 12 patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 12 healthy subjects was compared. It was observed that the NK activity against K562-cells decreased in a roughly linear fashion within the dose range of 4.0–16.0 Gy and there was no demonstrable difference between patients and controls. IFN treatment of the irradiated cells increased their NK activity to a higher relative extent than in unirradiated cells. On a relative basis, this increase became more pronounced as the X-ray dose was increased. The extent by which IFN could augment NK activity of lymphocytes, whether irradiated or not, did not differ between patients and controls. It is concluded that the radiosensitivity of NK activity and IFN-inducible NK activity of blood lymphocytes in HD is similar to that of healthy individuals, which is in contrast to T-cells and T-cell responses in this disease.

EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS-INDUCED LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISORDER CONVERTING TO FATAL BURKITT-LIKE LYMPHOMA IN A BOY WITH INTERFERON- INDUCIBLE CHROMOSOMAL DEFECT

A 6-year-old boy presenting with swelling of cervical and axillary lymph-nodes was diagnosed as having an Epstein-Barr virus infection because of EBV-nuclear-antigen-positive B-lymphocytes in blood and lymph nodes and high antibody titres to EBV antigens. The natural killer activity of blood-lymphocytes was low, and so was the percentage of T-lymphocytes with Fc receptors for IgG (T-γ cells). Chromosomal studies revealed a defect in the long arms of one of the chromosomes in pair no. 16 (16q22). The defect only appeared after addition of interferon to the lymphocyte cultures and preferentially in T-γ lymphocytes. The disease progressed despite attempts to restore the patient's immune reactivity by interferon, transfer factor, and blood transfusions. Necropsy showed that the severe hyperplasia of lymph nodes found during life had become a Burkitt-like lymphoma. The possible connection between an interferon-induced chromosomal defect (break at 16q22) and reduced level of natural killer activity, reduced T-γ lymphocytes, and proliferation of EBV-positive B-lymphocytes is discussed.