[Peripheral natural killer cell counting and its clinical significance blood in patients with bronchial asthma].

Objective: To investigate the changes in natural killer (NK) cell count in the peripheral blood of asthmatic patients.

Methods: The number of NK cells in the peripheral blood was determined with flow cytometry in 63 asthmatic patients with acute episodes, 65 patients with stable asthma and 62 healthy nonatopic subjects.

Results: A significant decrease in NK cell number was noted in asthmatic patients during acute exacerbation [(13.9-/+9.4) %] in comparison with patients with stable asthma [(22.5-/+12.3) %] and healthy subjects [(19.6-/+10.1)%] (P<0.05), and the NK cell number showed no significant difference between the latter two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusion: NK cell number is reduced in acute exacerbation of asthma, suggesting its important role in the asthmatic process.