S. Pedrinaci et al., Protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK) induces cytotoxic activity in the NKL human natural killer cell line, INT J CL L, 29(4), 1999, pp. 135-140
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Journal title
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL & LABORATORY RESEARCH
We studied the effect of protein-bound polysaccharide PSK on the activation
of the human natural killer cell line NKL. We observed an increased natura
l killer cytotoxic activity against different tumor cells (K562, Daudi, and
U937) when a standard 2- to 3-h (51)chromium release assay was performed.
The results parallel those obtained after treatment of the NKL cell line wi
th interleukin-2. The highest cytotoxic activity was reached at a concentra
tion of 100 mu g/ml of PSK. This natural killer activation was inhibited wh
en the PSK dose was 1,000 mu g/ml. None of the cell surface markers that we
re analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting showed variations after
PSK or interleukin-2 treatment of NKL cells. These markers included CD2, CD
11b, CD11c, CD18, CD16, CD54, CD56, CD98, CD25, CD122, HLA class I, HLA cla
ss II, CD94, ILT2, p58.1, p70, and NKp46. One of these markers (NKp46) is a
major triggering receptor reported to be involved in the natural cytotoxic
ity of fresh or cultured human natural killer cells. In our study, another
triggering receptor must be implicated in PSK-induced natural killer lysis.
Our data suggest that PSK is an important biological response modifier of
natural killer cells in vitro and may prove to be useful for the study of h
uman natural killer cell biology.