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. 2008;26(4):317-21.
doi: 10.1159/000130068. Epub 2008 May 8.

Chronic inflammation and CD16+ natural killer cell zeta-chain downregulation in hemodialysis patients

Theodoros Eleftheriadis  1 , Charalambos Kartsios, Efi Yiannaki, Polizo Kazila, Georgia Antoniadi, Vassilios Liakopoulos, Dimitra Markala
Affiliations

Chronic inflammation and CD16+ natural killer cell zeta-chain downregulation in hemodialysis patients

Theodoros Eleftheriadis et al. Blood Purif. 2008.

Abstract

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.

Patients and 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.

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