Deficient natural killer (NK) cell activity in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH)

Abstract

S ummary . Natural killer (NK) cell activity was studied in nine patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and 16 healthy subjects. NK cell activity was deficient in PNH and pretreatment of mononuclear cells with human leucocyte interferon in vitro failed to normalize this abnormality. The deficient NK cell activity may result from an abnormality of a lymphocyte subpopulation not described previously.