Abstract
We assessed natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood of 55 patients with ocular Behçet's disease.
The numbers of NK cells as well as their activity were measured by immunofluorescence employing three monoclonal antibodies and 51Cr release assay using K 562 cells, respectively.
A numerical abnormality of NK cells was present especially in the remission stage. Most of NK cell activity, on the contrary, were limited to the normal range independent of disease activity.
In light of clinical ocular activity, a close relationship between the frequency of the fundus type ocular attacks and the numericl abnormality of NK cells was suggested. It is also suggested that NK cell activity might be an indicator of disease activity with respect to the ocular attacks, since a significant (p<.05) decrease was found to occur over a seven-day period following the onset of the ocular attacks.
The results seem to support the hypothesis that an abnormality in both the numbers and the activity of NK cells in patients with Behçet's disease might be related to the disease itself.
