Bone marrow and peripheral blood natural killer cell activity in lymphomas. Its response to IL‐2

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology 1992-04, Vol.88 (1), p.143-148
• Main Authors: CALDERA, L. H., LEON‐PONTE, M., ACQUATELLA, G., BIANCO, N. E., BLANCA, I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antigens, CD - physiology; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow - immunology; CD3 Complex; CD56 Antigen; Child; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hodgkin's disease; Humans; IL‐2; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphoma - immunology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; natural killer cells; non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - physiology; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb03054.x

SUMMARY Natural killer (NK) cytotoxic activity was simultaneously investigated in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from nine Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 15 non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) untreated patients. Twenty‐five PBL samples and seven bone marrow specimens from healthy individuals were also included as control group (C). NK cell activity was evaluated in basal condition and post‐stimulation with human recombinanl IL‐2 (rIL‐2). Data were expressed in K values (number of BMMC or PBL needed to lyse 50% of the target cells). In basal condition, both HD and NHL patients showed a NK cell activity comparable to the C group, both in BMMC (HD, K=2·48±1·3; NHL, K=3·8±2·0; C, K=3·2±0·7) and PBL (HD, K=2·0±1·0; NHL, K=2·3±1·0; C, K= 2·2±0·2). Stimulation with rIL‐2 induced a significant and comparable enhancement of the NK activity in PBL from HD, NHL and C while the response to rIL‐2 of the BMMC in most of the HD and NHL patients was significantly greater than the C group. Responder cells were characterized by negative selection with specific MoAb plus complement as a CD3−, CD16+, CD56+ cytotoxic cell and further confirmed by flow cytometry. We postulate that IL‐2 activation of bone marrow NK cell precursors, in addition to enhancing the activity of circulating NK, may be of value for the therapeutic rationale of IL‐2 in patients with lymphoma.