Normalized natural killer (NK) cell activity in long‐term remission of acute leukaemia

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Abstract
NK [natural killer] cell activity was studied in 28 cases of acute leukemia in remission. Patients in long-term remission for 5 yr or more had normal NK cell activity but those in remission for < 5 yr had significantly lowered activity. This suggests that patients with acute leukemia had not been constitutionally deficient in NK cell activity. Low activity was augmented but not fully restored by interferon pretreatment in vitro. Therefore, the low NK cell activity observed during remission is not solely attributable to inadequate secretion of interferon in the host. It is suggested that the production of NK cells in bone marrow is impaired, or the function of NK cells is suppressed, by the leukemia itself or by chemotherapeutic agents. Increased consumption of NK cells is also a possibility.