Increase of peripheral natural killer T cells in hemodialysis patients.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with end-stage renal disease often present a state of immunodeficiency. To elucidate the involvement of natural killer T (NKT) cells in the development of pathologies associated with uremia, we examined the percentages and characteristics of NKT cells (CD56+ T cells and CD57+ T cells) in peripheral lymphocites from hemodialysis (HD) patients.


METHODS
Thirty-three patients who had undergone HD therapy for 2 to 5 years (group A, n = 15) or for more than 10 years (group B, n = 18) and 17 normal controls participated in this study. Cell surface antigens of lymphocytes were analyzed using immunofluorescent flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The percentage of peripheral CD56+ T cells was increased in group A and B compared with controls, and that of CD57+ T cells was increased in group B compared with controls and group A. The most abundant population in CD56+ T cells was DN T cells, and that in CD57+ T cells was CD8+ T cells. In CD57+ T cells, a higher proportion of CD8+ T cells and a lower proportion of DN T cells were found in group B compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
We detected increases of CD56+ T cells and CD57+ T cells in HD patients. The elevation of NKT cells might affect some complications associated with HD.
Nishimoto
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Daiko Medical Center, Japan. akeyo-n@kb3.so-net.ne.jp
Matsumoto
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000276:immunology