Natural killer cell activity in patients with pernicious anemia.

Patients with pernicious anemia have an estimated risk of gastric adenocarcinoma that ranges from three- to fivefold greater than that of the general population. It has been reported that NK cells may be involved in immunosurveillance against tumor spread. The natural killer cell activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was analyzed in 22 patients with pernicious anemia and in 19 healthy controls.

Functional defect of T cells in autoimmune gastritis.

The functional response and phenotypic characterisation of peripheral blood T cells were studied in 41 patients with autoimmune gastritis--nine patients with autoimmune gastritis alone, 11 with untreated pernicious anaemia, and 21 with resolved pernicious anaemia who were taking vitamin B-12. Phenotypic analysis showed no changes in the CD4/CD8 ratio in any group of patients. CD3+ cells were significantly decreased and CD16+ cells were significantly increased in patients with autoimmune gastritis alone.

Deficient interleukin 2 dependent proliferation pathway in T lymphocytes from active and inactive ulcerative colitis patients.

There is increasing evidence that ulcerative colitis is associated with an abnormality of the immune system. Although the aetiology remains unknown, it has been suggested that the immune system of these patients is implicated in the pathogenesis of their disease. T cell function was investigated in ulcerative colitis patients and defective phytohaemagglutinin induced T cell mitogenesis was found.

Natural killer cell activity in laryngeal carcinoma.

We studied the relationship of natural killer cell activity from peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the clinical and pathologic stage of disease in 23 male patients with previously untreated carcinoma of the larynx and 22 healthy male control subjects. Levels of natural killer cell activity against K-562 target cells were similar in control subjects and patients, regardless of stage, tumor size, and clinical cervical adenopathies. Natural killer cell activity, however, was significantly decreased in patients with pathologic cervical lymph node involvement.