The Correlation between NK Cell and Liver Function in Patients with Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to detect the expression of natural killer (NK) cell receptor natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) in the peripheral blood of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma and to discuss the correlation between NK cell cytotoxicity and liver function. METHODS: The number of NK cells and the expression of NK cell receptor NKG2D in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B, and healthy controls. RESULTS: When compared with patients in the healthy and the chronic hepatitis B groups, the primary hepatocellular carcinoma group showed significant decreases in all parameters, including the cytotoxicity of NK cells on K562 cells, expression rate of NKG2D in NK cells, number of NKG2D+ NK cells, expression level of NKG2D, and number of NK cells (p<0.05). The activity of NK cells showed a positive correlation, whereas the Child-Pugh scores in the primary hepatocellular carcinoma and the hepatitis B cirrhosis groups showed a negative correlation with all parameters detected above. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of NK cell activity in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma is closely related to their lower expression of NKG2D. Liver function affects the expression of NKG2D and the activity of NK cells.

Murine model of BCG lung infection: dynamics of lymphocyte subpopulations in lung interstitium and tracheal lymph nodes.

C57Bl/6 female mice were infected with an intrapulmonary dose of 2.5 x 10(4) BCG (Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin). Lymphocyte populations in lung interstitium and lung-associated tracheal lymph nodes (LN) were examined at 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after infection. BCG load in lungs peaked between 4-6 weeks post-infection and declined to very low levels by the 12th week of infection. Lung leukocytes were obtained over the course of infection by enzyme digestion of lung tissue followed by centrifugation over Percoll discontinuous density gradients. By 4 to 6 weeks after infection, numbers of lung leukocytes had more than doubled but the proportions of lymphocytes (about 70%), macrophages (about 18%) and granulocytes (about 12%) remained essentially unaltered. Flow cytometric studies indicated: (i) the total number of CD3+ T cells in lungs increased by 3-fold relative to uninfected controls at 5 to 6 weeks post-infection, but the relative proportions of CD4 and CD8 cells within the T cell compartment remained unaltered; (ii) relative proportion of NK cells in lungs declined by 30% but the total number of NK cells (NK1.1+) per lung increased by about 50%, 5-6 weeks post infection; (iii) tracheal LN underwent marked increase in size and cell recoveries (6-10-fold increase) beginning 4 weeks after infection. While both T and B cells contributed to the increase in cell recoveries from infected tracheal LNs, the T/B ratio declined significantly but CD4/CD8 ratio remained unaltered. In control mice, IFNgamma producing non-T cells outnumbered T cells producing IFNgamma. However, as the adaptive response to infection evolves, marked increase occur in the number of IFNgamma producing T cells, but not NK cells in the lungs. Thus, T cells are the primary cell type responsible for the adaptive IFNgamma response to pulmonary BCG infection. Few T cells in tracheal LN of BCG infected mice produce IFNgamma, suggesting that maturational changes associated with migration to the lungs or residence in the lungs enhance the capability of some T cells to produce this cytokine.

The effects of cigarette smoking on peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations: an urban population-based study in Thailand.

Preliminary studies for peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocyte subsets were done in smokers and non-smokers. There were 20 smokers (smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day) for more than a year and 20 non-smokers (smoked less than 20 cigarettes/20 years). Ages of smokers and non-smokers were respectively 21-57, and 18-55 years. Cigarette smoking was associated with a statistically significant increase in the number of neutrophils, activated lymphocytes, CD25 and CD19; but a statistical decrease in the percentage of CD7 and CD3. (P < 0.05)

Funcion fagocitaria de leucocitos polimorfonucleares y subpoblaciones linfocitarias en pacientes con amibiasis / Phagocytic function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with amebiasis

Se inicia un proyecto piloto para la evaluación integral de la función fagocitaria de leucocitos polimorfonucleares y el análisis de subpoblaciones linfocitarias en pacientes con diversas formas de amebiasis. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en algunos parámetros tales como reducción del nitroazul de tetrazolio (NBT), relácion CD4/CD8, digestión de candida, expresión de la. Se plantea la necesidad de mayor investigación en el campo de los mecanismos de imunidad mediados por células en los pacientes con amibiasis. Es interesante también precisar los efectos que puddieran ejercer los medicamentos que se emplean, tales como el metronidazol sobre la función fagocitária de polimorfonucleares y en el comportamiento de subpoblaciones linfocitarias