EFFECT OF IMMUNE RNA ON NK ACTIVITY OF INFANTS BORN TO MOTHERS WITH CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION

The effect of specific immune RNA (i-RNA) on the activity of natural k iller (NK) cells in the peripheral blood of 27 newborn infants was stu died by lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Peripheral blood mon onuclear cells (PBMC) were used as effector cells with K 562 tumour ce lls as target cells. The results showed that in the therapeutic group (n = 17) the average activity of NK cells after therapy (24.13 +/- 4.6 2%) was 13.67 +/- 5.79% higher than before therapy (10.47 +/- 3.57%). In the control group (n = 10) these were only 10.78 +/- 3.94% and 11.5 8 +/- 3.37%, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.0 5). However, NK activity in the therapeutic group and control group wa s markedly different (P < 0.01). The data indicate that specific i-RNA can enhance the activity of NK cells in the peripheral blood of newbo rn infants. Therefore, we believe that specific i-RNA may play an impo rtant role in defence against CMV infection. The mechanism of i-RNA au gmenting NK cellular activity is also discussed.