PURPOSE To study the role of natural killer cells in the dissemination of virus to the eye and virus growth as well as the production of lesions in the eye during primary infection of murine cytomegalovirus. METHODS Virus activity and lesion production by murine cytomegalovirus in various organs of natural killer cell-depleted BALB/c strain of inbred mice were compared with those of immunocom...

The killing activity of natural killer cells is largely regulated by the binding of class I human leukocyte antigen cognate ligands to killer cell immunoglobulin - like receptor proteins. The killer cell immunoglobulin - like receptor gene - complex contains genes that activate and others that inhibit the killing state of natural killer cells depending on the binding of specific human leukocyte...

Over one-fifth of North American women of childbearing age are obese, putting these women at risk for a variety of detrimental chronic diseases. In addition, obesity increases the risk for developing major complications during pregnancy. The mechanisms by which obesity contributes to pregnancy complications and loss remain unknown. Increasing evidence indicates that obesity results in major cha...

In pregnancy, uterine natural killer cells (uNK) play essential roles in coordinating uterine angiogenesis, blood vessel remodeling, and promoting maternal tolerance to fetal tissue. Deviances from a normal uterine microenvironment are thought to modify uNK function(s) by limiting their ability to establish a healthy pregnancy. While maternal obesity has become a major health concern due to ass...

Background: The innate immune system against malignancies is mainly orchestrated by natural killer cells, which carry out killing mechanisms by using their receptors, such as killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). This study was designed to determine the diversity of KIR genes in non-melanoma skin cancers. Methods: A total of 160 subjects with skin cancer, including 60 cases of squamous c...

UNLABELLED Natural killer cells are increasingly being considered an important component of innate resistance to viruses, but their role in HIV infection is controversial. Some investigators have found that natural killer cells do not confer a protective effect during the progression of HIV disease, whereas others have shown that natural killer cells may be protective and retard the progression...

Allotransplantation of natural killer (NK) cells has been shown to be a key factor in the control and cure of at least some hematologic diseases, such as acute myeloid leukemia or pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia. These results support the idea that stimulation of NK cells could be an important therapeutic tool in many diseases, and several such approaches are now in clinical trials, someti...