title: Peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell function in healthy adults assessed using the target-induced NK loss (TINKL) assay.
abstract: In this technical note we provide data useful for the clinical application of the target-induced Natural Killer (NK) loss (TINKL) assay. The TINKL assay is a sensitive flow cytometry-based assay for measuring NK cell function. Loss of NK cells from the lymphocyte gate occurs following culture with K562 (the prototypic target cell for natural killing) and antibody-coated target cells (for antibody-dependent killing). By analysis of multiple samples of PBMC from single donors we document the intra-experimental variability and the inter-experimental variability of the assay. The intra-experimental coefficient of variation (CV) was on average 11% for natural killing and 3% for antibody-dependent killing, compared to 14% and 9% respectively for the inter-experimental variation. Analysis of a 123 normal healthy adults shows large variability in the functional capacity of NK cells in the population both for natural killing (CV 33%) and antibody-dependent killing (CV 27%).
authors.affiliation: Cancer Immunology Research Unit, The Canberra Hospital, Woden, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Hilary.Warren@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Hilary S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Peggy L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pyne
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Allan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Cripps
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies