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Defects of natural killer cell activity in children with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia

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Summary

Natural killer (NK) activity against cells of the K-562 line was significantly depressed in 12 of 18 children (66%) with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). No suppression of allogeneic NK activity was observed with sera of the patients, regardless of the level of NK depression. The ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) to suppress allogeneic NK activity was tested in two ALL patients — one with no detectable NK activity, and one with high NK activity. No NK-suppressive activity was found with PBLs of the areactive patient; PBLs of the reactive patients exhibited some suppressive activity, but only at a particular suppressor-to-effector cell ratio. Leukemic blasts were resistant to killing by autologous NK cells stimulated by IFN, as well as to killing by allogeneic, IFN-stimulated PBLs. Leukemic blasts of an ALL patient inhibited lysis of K-562 cells in an 18-h, but not in a 4-h NK assay. The inhibition could partly be reversed by pretreatment of ALL cells with alpha interferon, suggesting that the blasts might inhibit the lysis of K-562 targets in a competitive manner. Disturbed function and/or regulation of NK cells may influence attempts at NK cell activation by lymphokines.

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Abbreviations

ALL:

acute lymphocytic leukemia

AML:

acute myeloid leukemia

CLL:

chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CML:

chronic myeloid leukemia

IFN:

interferon

IL-2:

interleukin-2

LGL:

large granular lymphocyte

NK cell:

natural killer cell

PBL:

peripheral blood lymphocyte

Poly I:C:

polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Ruder Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Yugoslavia

    J. Gabrilovac, M. Boranić, B. Kušić & D. Batinić

  2. Children's Clinic, Clinical Hospital Center Šalata, Zagreb, Yugoslavia

    L. Rajić & A. Tiefenbach

Authors
  1. J. Gabrilovac
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  2. M. Boranić
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  3. B. Kušić
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  4. D. Batinić
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  5. L. Rajić
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  6. A. Tiefenbach
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Gabrilovac, J., Boranić, M., Kušić, B. et al. Defects of natural killer cell activity in children with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia. Klin Wochenschr 66, 354–360 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735794

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01735794

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