title: Radiosensitivity of human natural killer cells: binding and cytotoxic activities of natural killer cell subsets.
abstract: The sensitivity of human natural killer (NK) cell activities (both binding and killing) after exposure of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to different doses of gamma radiation was studied. A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to identify the NK and T-lymphocyte subsets and to evaluate their radiosensitivity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were irradiated with low (2-6 Gy) and high (10-30 Gy) doses and NK cell binding and cytotoxic activity against K562 target cells were studied after 3 h and 48 h in culture. The primary damage to NK cell activity was identified at the postbinding level and affected mainly the lytic machinery. After 48 h culture postirradiation, an overall depression of cytotoxic activity was observed, but ionizing radiation produced either a selection of the more cytotoxic NK cell subsets, which therefore might be considered more resistant to radiation damage than the less cytotoxic NK cells, or a long-term stimulation of cytotoxic activity in surviving cells.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia Umana Normale, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzotti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzoli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papa
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes