A killing defect of natural killer cells with the absence of natural killer
cytotoxic factors in a child with Hodgkin's disease
A Komiyama, H Kawai, S Yamada, M Kato, M Yanagisawa, Y Miyagawa and T Akabane
A killing defect of natural killer (NK) cells in the absence of NK
cytotoxic factors (NKCF) was first demonstrated in a child with Hodgkin's
disease. The patient lacked detectable NK cell activity in every phase of
the disease as measured by a four-hour 51Cr-release assay using K562 cells
as a target. The percent lysis at a 40:1 effector:target ratio by the
patient's lymphocytes was persistently below 0.3% as compared with the
normal lymphocyte value of 46.2% +/- 5.8% (mean +/- SD). NK cell activity
was not detectable at effector:target ratios of 10:1 to 80:1 and by
prolongation of the incubation time, and the NK cell defect was not
restored or improved by lymphocyte stimulation with
polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid, interferon (IFN)-alpha, or interleukin 2
(IL 2). The numbers of Leu-7+ cells and Leu-11+ cells were normal as
counted by flow cytometry. A single cell- in-agarose assay demonstrated
normal numbers of target binding cells (TBCs), and they showed the
morphology of "large granular lymphocytes." However, there were no TBCs
with dead targets. These results indicated that the patient's lymphocytes
contained normal numbers of NK cells that were capable of recognizing and
binding to a target but were incapable of killing the bound target cell.
The patient's lymphocytes were then studied for their release of NKCF upon
interaction with K562 cells. The patient's cells did not release NKCF, and
the NK cell defect was not restored or improved by stimulation of the cells
with IFN or IL 2. It is suggested that the deficient release of NKCF may
have been related to the killing defect of the NK cells in this patient.
Volume 69,
Issue 6,
pp. 1686-1690,
06/01/1987
Copyright © 1987 by The American Society of Hematology
