Back to Search
Start Over
In vivo kinetics of human natural killer cells: the effects of ageing and acute and chronic viral infection.
- Source :
- Immunology; Jun2007, Vol. 121 Issue 2, p258-265, 8p, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Human natural killer (NK) cells form a circulating population in a state of dynamic homeostasis. We investigated NK cell homeostasis by labelling dividing cells in vivo using deuterium-enriched glucose in young and elderly healthy subjects and patients with viral infection. Following a 24-hr intravenous infusion of 6,6-D<subscript>2</subscript>-glucose, CD3<superscript>–</superscript> CD16<superscript>+</superscript> NK cells sorted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) were analysed for DNA deuterium content by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to yield minimum estimates for proliferation rate ( p). In healthy young adults ( n = 5), deuterium enrichment was maximal ∼ 10 days after labelling, consistent with postmitotic maturation preceding circulation. The mean (± standard deviation) proliferation rate was 4·3 ± 2·4%/day (equivalent to a doubling time of 16 days) and the total production rate was 15 ± 7·6 × 10<superscript>6</superscript> cells/l/day. Labelled cells disappeared from the circulation at a similar rate [6·9 ± 4·0%/day; half-life ( T<subscript>½</subscript>) < 10 days]. Healthy elderly subjects ( n = 8) had lower proliferation and production rates ( P = 2·5 ± 1·0%/day and 7·3 ± 3·7 × 10<superscript>6</superscript> cells/l/day, respectively; P = 0·04). Similar rates were seen in patients chronically infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) ( P = 3·2 ± 1·9%/day). In acute infectious mononucleosis ( n = 5), NK cell numbers were increased but kinetics were unaffected ( P = 2·8 ± 1·0%/day) a mean of 12 days after symptom onset. Human NK cells have a turnover time in blood of about 2 weeks. Proliferation rates appear to fall with ageing, remain unperturbed by chronic HTLV-I infection and normalize rapidly following acute Epstein–Barr virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- KILLER cells
HOMEOSTASIS
CELL division
GLUCOSE
VIRUS diseases
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00192805
- Volume :
- 121
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Immunology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24825918
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2007.02573.x