[Functional changes in the natural killer cells of patients with acute leukemia]

The results of study of NKC activity (51Cr release assay, conjugate-forming and lytic activity) in healthy persons and patients with acute leukemia (AL) in active phase and in remission are presented. It has been shown that the depression of the NKC activity in acute phase of AL (6 times as low as in norm) and in remission (3 times as low as in norm) depended upon disturbances of the processes of conjugate formation, lytic and recycling activity. Correlation has been found between percentage of lytic conjugates and that of cytotoxicity. The increase of NKC activity in remission seemed to be due to tendency to normalization of functional state of NK-cells (conjugate-forming and recycling activity).