Chronic inflammation and CD16+ natural killer cell zeta-chain downregulation in hemodialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
Natural killer (NK) cell activity is decreased in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Zeta-chain phosphorylation is an early event that follows the triggering of some NK cell-activating receptors. NK cell zeta-chain is downregulated in patients with cancer due to chronic inflammation. HD is also a chronic inflammatory state. NK cell zeta-chain expression in HD was evaluated.


METHODS
Thirty-three HD patients and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study. The CD3-CD16+ subpopulation was examined, since it corresponds to 90% of all NK cells and has the highest cytotoxicity.NK cell count and zeta-chain mean fluorescence intensity were evaluated with flow cytometry. The inflammatory markers C-reactive protein, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured with ELISA.


RESULTS
The inflammatory markers were increased in HD patients. NK cell count did not differ between HD patients and healthy volunteers. NK cell zeta-chain mean fluorescence intensity was decreased in the patient group.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic inflammation could be responsible for the NK cell zeta- chain downregulation in HD patients, contributing to the decreased NK cell activity.
Eleftheriadis
Theodoros
T
Nephrology Department, General Hospital of Serres, Serres, Greece. teleftheriadis@yahoo.com
Kartsios
Charalambos
C
Yiannaki
Efi
E
Kazila
Polizo
P
Antoniadi
Georgia
G
Liakopoulos
Vassilios
V
Markala
Dimitra
D
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000473:pathology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D006435:Renal Dialysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D017452:Receptors, IgG; C054979:antigen T cell receptor, zeta chain