title: Natural killer activity in patients with acute viral hepatitis.
abstract: Using the natural killer (NK) sensitive K562 cell line, enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity was demonstrable early in the course of acute hepatitis B while normal values were obtained in patients studied during convalescence. No evidence of enhanced NK activity was instead obtained in the course of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. Serum levels of alpha-interferon, as determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA), were significantly increased in patients with acute hepatitis B showing enhanced NK cell activity but not in those with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis and normal NK cell activity. These results suggest that natural cytotoxicity may play a role early in the course of acute hepatitis type B, before antigen-specific T lymphocytes become fully operative.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I