title: The effect of blood donation on natural killer activity in man.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) activity by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was determined in 122 male blood bank donors and 51 age-matched normal individuals. The results of a 4 hr 51Cr specific release assay demonstrated that NK activity was significantly decreased in blood donors and was dependent on the total volume of blood donated--the lowest values were observed in active long-term blood donors. It was shown also that depression of NK activity was accompanied by a decrease in total lymphocyte count in blood.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged