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Studies of human natural killer cells. I. in vivo parameters affecting normal cytotoxic function
Author(s) -
Pross Hugh F.,
Baines Malcolm G.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910290404
Subject(s) - natural killer cell , cytotoxic t cell , biology , immunology , cytotoxicity , human leukocyte antigen , in vivo , physiology , in vitro , antigen , genetics
The results of natural killer cell (NK) studies on 539 normal healthy donors tested from once to 213 times over a seven‐year time span have been presented. NK activity did not vary with donor blood group, Rh type or (in a small sample) HLA type. There was a slight but significant increase in NK activity from birth to adulthood, and between males and females. The male/female difference was present at birth and persisted through adulthood. The relative NK activity of individual donors tested repeatedly over many years was remarkably consistent in spite of variability in the absolute cytotoxidty observed. The expression of NK data in terms of relative NK was found to be superior to other methods, and the values obtained were found to be independent of the NK‐sensitive target cell used. Although age and sex differences in NK activity are slight, their existence should be considered when studies of NK activity in patients are analysed.