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Up‐Regulation of Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity by Interleukin‐2: The Effect of Sex and Parity
Author(s) -
Brett Rose,
Searle Roger F.,
Bulmer Dr. Judith N.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1999.tb00450.x
Subject(s) - cytotoxicity , natural killer cell , cytotoxic t cell , interleukin 2 , endocrinology , biology , peripheral blood , immunology , medicine , interleukin 15 , k562 cells , interleukin , andrology , cytokine , in vitro , leukemia , biochemistry
PROBLEM: Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from some, but not all, female donors showed increased cytotoxicity in response to interleukin (IL)‐2. METHOD OF STUDY: The effect of IL‐2 on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity was compared in nulliparous females, parous females, and males. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were preincubated for 20 or 72 hr with 5 or 100 U/ml IL‐2 and cytotoxicity against K562 targets was then examined. RESULTS: In the parous females, only the 72‐hr preincubation with 100 U/ml IL‐2 significantly increased NK cell cytotoxicity, whereas nulliparous females also showed significantly increased cytotoxicity after a 20‐hr preincubation with 100 U/ml IL‐2. Neither female subject group had increased activity after preincubation for 20 or 72 hr with 5 U/ml IL‐2. However, male peripheral blood lymphocytes also showed a significant increase in NK cell cytotoxicity when preincubated for 72 hr with 5 U/ml IL‐2. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of IL‐2 on NK cell cytotoxic activity may be related to sex and the state of parity.