Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitiligo.
Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity was studied in 18 patients with vitiligo and 13 healthy age-, race-, and sex-matched control subjects. The 4-hour chromium51 (51Cr) release assay was used to determine the activity of natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood against K562 and Molt-4 target cells. Patients with vitiligo had a 50%, 67%, and 60% decrease in the cytotoxic response with Molt-4 cells at effector-target ratios of 25:1, 50:1, and 100:1, respectively, in comparison with control subjects (p less than 0.001). This inhibition was consistent with an 80% decrease in the binding capacity of NK cells to Molt-4 target cells (p less than 0.005). In contrast, cytotoxic responses did not differ in patients and control subjects with K562 target cells. These results suggest that patients with vitiligo have a decreased capacity for effector cell recognition of Molt-4 target cells but not K562 target cells. Hence patients with vitiligo may have defective clones of NK cells that are incapable of initial recognition of Molt-4 target cells, a necessary prerequisite for target cell lysis. Perhaps this phenomenon occurs with other tumor cells, which would explain the association of vitiligo with certain internal malignancies.
Ghoneum
M
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School, Los Angeles, CA.
Grimes
P E
PE
Gill
G
G
Kelly
A P
AP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies