title: Human platelets effectively kill K-562 cells, a chronic myelogenic leukemia cell line, in vitro.
abstract: The cytotoxic effect of isolated human platelets on leukemic cells has been examined in order to investigate the role of platelets in host defense systems. K-562 cells (a chronic myelogenic leukemia cell line) showed significant change in their morphology and were killed when they were incubated with platelets in serum-free medium for several hours at 37 degrees C, a condition where no killing of normal peripheral lymphocytes occurred. Some protease inhibitors inhibited the cytotoxicity of platelets against K-562 cells. Our results suggest that platelets may be involved in host defense against neoplasia and that certain proteases are implicated in the cytotoxic effect of platelets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Ehime College of Health Science.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sagawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000276:immunology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors