Work

Natural killer cell activity during measles

Year: 1990

Type: article

Abstract: Natural killer cells are postulated to play an important role in host anti-viral defences. We measured natural killer cell activity in 30 individuals with acute measles (73 +/- 21 lytic units (LU)/10(7) cells) and 16 individuals with other infectious diseases (149 +/- 95 LU) and found it reduced compared with values for adults (375 +/- 70 LU; P less than 0.001) or children (300 +/- 73 LU, P less than 0.01) without infection. Reduced natural killer cell activity was found in measles patients with (84 +/- 30 LU) and without (55 +/- 18 LU) complications and was present for at least 3 weeks after the onset of the rash. Activity was increased by in vitro exposure of cells to interleukin-2. Depressed natural killer cell activity parallels in time the suppression of other parameters of cell-mediated immunity that occurs during measles.

Source: Clinical & Experimental Immunology

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1990.tb03321.x

Authors: D E GRIFFIN, B J WARD, E JAUREGUI, R T JOHNSON, A VAISBERG

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia

Language: English

Topic: Virology and Viral Diseases

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases