• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2010

Natural killer T (NKT) cell is a special type of T lymphocytes that has both receptor of natural killer (NK) cell (NK1.1, CD161c) and T cell (TCR) and express a conserved or invariant T cell receptor called $V{\alpha}14J{\alpha}18$ in mice or Va24 in humans. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cell recognizes lipid antigen presented by CD1d molecules. Marine-sponge-derived glycolipid, ${\alpha}-galactosylceremide$ (${\alpha}-GalCer$), binds CD1d at the cell surface of antigen-presenting cells and is presented to iNKT cells. Within hours, iNKT cells become activated and start to secrete Interleukin-4 and $interferon-{\gamma}$. NKT cell prevents autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, systemic lupus erythematous, inflammatory colitis, and Graves' thyroiditis, by activation with ${\alpha}-GalCer$. In addition, NKT cell is associated with infectious diseases by mycobacteria, leshmania, and virus. Moreover NKT cell is associated with asthma, especially CD4+ iNKT cells. In this review, I will discuss the characteristics of NKT cell and the association with inflammatory diseases, especially asthma.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1991.06a
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• pp.20-20
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• 1991

악성종양의 발생과 진행에 면역 방어기능이 중요한 역할을 하리라는 가설은 모두가 공감하는 사실이다. 이중 T-lymphocyte와 Natural killer cell (이하 NK cell이라함)은 종양 면역학에 특히 중요한 임파구로 이런 임파구의 혈액분포양상은 면역방어기능을 짐작할 수 있는 간접적인 자료가 될 수 있다. 저자들은 치료전 두경부 악성종양환자에서 혈액을 채취하여 T-lymphocyte와NK cell의 분포양상을 검사하고, 방사선치료 환자에서는 NK cell activity를 측정하였기에 다음과 같은 결과를 보고하는 바이다. 1) 두경부 악성 종양 환자군에서 CD3+ cell은 감소하고 NK cell은 증가하며 CD4/CD8 비율은 변화가 없었다. 2) 병변이 진행되면서 CD3+ cell과 CD4+ cell은 감소하고 NK cell은 증가하였으며 CD4/CD8 비율의 변화는 없었다. 3) 방사선치료에 의해 CD3+ cell과 CD4+ cell, CD4/CD8 비율은 감소하였고, NK cell과CD8+cell은 증가하였다. 4) 방사선치료에 의한 CD4/CD8 비율의 감소와, CD8+ cell의 증가는 NK cell의 증가에 의한 것이라 추정되고, NK cell을 제외하면 CB4/CD8 비율의 변화는 없었다. 5) 방사선치료 환자에서 NK cell activity는 증가하였고, 이런 증가가 T-lymphocyte기능의 감소를 보상해 주고 있었다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9945-9948
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate Tim-3 expression on peripheral CD3-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells and CD3+CD56+ natural killer T (NKT) cells in lung cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We analyzed Tim-3+CD3-CD56+ cells, Tim-3+CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells, Tim-3+CD3-$CD56^{bright}$ cells, and Tim-3+CD3+CD56+ cells in fresh peripheral blood from 79 lung cancer cases preoperatively and 53 healthy controls by flow cytometry. Postoperative blood samples were also analyzed from 21 members of the lung cancer patient cohort. Results: It was showed that expression of Tim-3 was significantly increased on CD3-CD56+ cells, CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in lung cancer patients as compared to healthy controls (p=0.03, p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). When analyzing Tim-3 expression with cancer progression, results revealed more elevated Tim-3 expression in CD3-CD56+ cells, CD3-$CD56^{dim}$ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in cases with advanced stages (III/IV) than those with stage I and II (p=0.02, p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). In addition, Tim-3 expression was significantly reduced on after surgical resection of the primary tumor (p<0.01). Conclusions: Tim-3 expression in natural killer cells from fresh peripheral blood may provide a useful indicator of disease progression of lung cancer. Furthermore, it was indicated that Tim-3 might be as a therapeutic target.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.211-222
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• 1996

The conceptus which are resulted by mating between two genetically non-identical partners can be considered to be an allograft to the mother science which is not rejected by the mother's immunological attack. The present studies have been, therefore, attempted in order to elucidate the mechanism by which protection of the fete-placental allograft, between the C3H/HeJ female mouse and DBA/2 male mouse occurred. For this purpose, firstly systemic immunity was investigated by measuring T and B lymphocytes subsets. Natural killer cell activity in maternal splenic tissue and by observing the effects of pregnancy serums, progesterone and hCG on immune systems. Secondly, local immunity also investigated by measuring T lymphocytes subsets, natural killer cell activity in lymph nodes draining the uterus. The subsets of Thy-1.2$^+$ cells and L 3T4$^+$ cells decreased slightly while the subsets of Ly2$^+$ cell increased significantly compared with those of the control group beyond the mid-gestational stage. The subsets of B cell gradually in-creased from the mid-gestational stage untill delivery. The natural killer cell activity in the maternal splenic tissue significantly increased during the period of 5th to 8th day of gestation. The natural killer cell activity was significantly suppressed by the pregnancy serums and non-pregnant serums compared with those of serum-free group. The treatment of hCG significantly suppressed natural killer cell activity in the dose dependent manner (1 unit/ml-1000 unit/ml) while pro-gesterone increased the natural killer cell activity at phamarcological dose only. In the lymph nodes draining the uterus, the subsets of Thy-1.2$^+$ cells significantly increased during the period of implantation and L3T4$^+$ cell subsets slightly increased during the mid-gestational stage. The subsets of Ly2$^+$ cell increased significantly during the mid-gestational stage, but decreasing slightly be-fore delivery. The natural killer cell activity was significantly elevated after the implantation period in the lymph nodes draining the uterus. The natural killer cell activity of the lymph nodes draining the uterus was higher than those of splenic tissue during the same periods of gestation. It is therefore, concluded that during the pregnancy, the phenomena which the fete-placental allograft has not been rejected and rather protected from the maternal immunological attack might be due to local immune suppression in fete-maternal interface tissues rather than systemic immune suppression. And the subsets of Thy-1.2$^+$ cells and L3T4$^+$ cells mainly contribute to accepting allograft in early stage of pregnancy, while the subsets of Ly2$^+$ cell and the subsets of B cell increased significantly compared with those of the control group beyond the mid-gestational stage, so their role in systemic immunity and local immunity gradually increased from the mid-gestational stage until delivery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.356-381
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• 2023

Although immunotherapy has been broadly successful in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and a subset of solid tumors, its clinical outcomes for glioblastoma are still inadequate. The results could be due to neuroanatomical structures such as the blood-brain-barrier, antigenic heterogeneity, and the highly immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioblastomas. The antitumor efficacy of endogenously activated effector cells induced by peptide or dendritic cell vaccines in particular has been insufficient to control tumors. Effector cells, such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells can be expanded rapidly ex vivo and transferred to patients. The identification of neoantigens derived from tumor-specific mutations is expanding the list of tumor-specific antigens for glioblastoma. Moreover, recent advances in gene-editing technologies enable the effector cells to not only have multiple biological functionalities, such as cytokine production, multiple antigen recognition, and increased cell trafficking, but also relieve the immunosuppressive nature of the glioblastoma microenvironment by blocking immune inhibitory molecules, which together improve their cytotoxicity, persistence, and safety. Allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells edited to reduce graft-versus-host disease and allorejection, or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NK cells expressing CARs that use NK-specific signaling domain can be a good candidate for off-the-shelf products of glioblastoma immunotherapy. We here discuss current progress and future directions for T cell and NK cell therapy in glioblastoma.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.168-176
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• 2013

In the last few years major progress has been made in better understanding the role of natural killer (NK) cells in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This includes multiple pathways by which HCV impairs or limits NK cells activation. Based on current genetic and functional data, a picture is emerging where only a rapid and strong NK cell response early on during infection which results in strong T cell responses and possible subsequent clearance, whereas chronic HCV infection is associated with dysfunctional or biased NK cells phenotypes. The hallmark of this NK cell dysfunction is persistent activation promoting ongoing hepatitis and hepatocyte damage, while being unable to clear HCV due to impaired IFN-${\gamma}$ responses. Furthermore, some data suggests certain chronically activated subsets that are $NKp46^{high}$ may be particularly active against hepatic stellate cells, a key player in hepatic fibrogenesis. Finally, the role of NK cells during HCV therapy, HCV recurrence after liver transplant and hepatocellular carcinoma are discussed.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.231-234
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• 2021

We report a rare case of metachronous lymphoma with two distinct cell lineages in a 75-year-old man. The patient complained about having nasal obstruction for 2 years and extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma of the nasal type was diagnosed from a biopsy. The immunohistochemical staining for CD56 and in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNA (EBER-ISH) were positive and the tumor cells were negative for CD20. After 13 months of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, the patient presented with swelling of the left testis. Positron emission tomography scan detected an abnormal uptake in the testis. A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, was diagnosed from subsequent radical orchiectomy. The immunohistochemical staining revealed to be positive for CD20, BCL2, BCL6, and MYC and negative for CD10 and EBER-ISH.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2297-2302
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• 2014

Objective: To evaluate early treatment for extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENK/TCL) in China and provide reference for clinical treatment of these patients. Methods: Computer-based retrieval was performed in PubMed, CNKI, CBM, VIP and WanFang Data to search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of treatment for early ENK/TCL, and a meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.0 software. Results: A total of 11 RCTs, including 871 patients, were selected, of which the first radiotherapy had a higher complete response (CR) than the first chemotherapy [OR=14.16, 95%CI (8.68, 23.10), P<0.00001] and CR was not different between combined treatment group and radiotherapy group [OR=1.86, 95%CI (0.47, 3.58), P=0.61], but long-term survival rate was higher with combined treatment[OR=1.88, 95%CI (1.09, 3.19), P=0.02]. No difference in survival rate was observed between radio-chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy groups [OR=1.11, 95%CI (0.73, 1.69), P=0.63]. Conclusions: Radiotherapy is of great significance in the treatment of early ENK/TCL, but combined therapy could further enhance long-term survival rate of patients. This conclusion still requires further confirmation using RCTs with high quality and large sample size.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.13
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• 2023

CD8⁺ T cells are activated by TCRs that recognize specific cognate Ags, while NK-cell activation is regulated by a balance between signals from germline-encoded activating and inhibitory NK receptors. Through these different processes of Ag recognition, CD8⁺ T cells and NK cells play distinct roles as adaptive and innate immune cells, respectively. However, some human CD8⁺ T cells have been found to express activating or inhibitory NK receptors. CD8⁺ T-cell populations expressing NK receptors straddle the innate-adaptive boundary with their innate-like features. Recent breakthrough technical advances in multi-omics analysis have enabled elucidation of the unique immunologic characteristics of these populations. However, studies have not yet fully clarified the heterogeneity and immunological characteristics of each CD8⁺ T-cell population expressing NK receptors. Here we aimed to review the current knowledge of various CD8⁺ T-cell populations expressing NK receptors, and to pave the way for delineating the landscape and identifying the various roles of these T-cell populations.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.151-159
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• 1994

To evaluate the anticarcinogenic effect and its mechanism of red ginseng, the mice were treated with red ginseng and received subcutaneous Bl6 melanoma cell line injection on the back. Tumor incidence was same (100%) both in water and red ginseng-treated groups, but tumor production was delayed in red ginseng-treated group. Survival time was somewhat longer in red ginseng-treated group. The histopathological findings were similar in both groups, but lymphocytic infiltration around the tumor and melanin production in the tumor cells were prominent in the red ginseng-treated group. Flow cytometric analysis on T lymphocytes and natural killer cells revealed increased $T_H$/$T_S$ ratio and increased NK cells in red ginseng-treated group. These results suggest that the anticarcinogenic effect of red ginseng may be exerted by the increased cell-mediated immunity and natural killer cell activity.