J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 83(2): 150-162, 1982

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Original article

IN VIVO POTENTIATION OF HUMAN NATURAL KILLER (NK) CELL ACTIVITY BY A STREPTOCOCCAL PREPARATION, OK-432: PARTICIPATION OF INTERFERON DITECTED IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT TUMORS.

The effect of streptococcal preparation, OK-432 on the augmentation of natural killer cells was examined in 50 patients with malignant diseases. In 3 patients who received intramuscular injection of OK-432, characterization of the effector cells induced with OK-432 revealed that the augmented cytotoxicity might be ascribed mainly to NK cells.
NK cell activity of their lymphocytes against K562 targets was strongly augmented. The peak of the cytotoxic activity appeared within 3 days after the initial administration of the agent. Thereafter, the activity declined, but it still remained higher than control level on the day 6. The administration of lower dose of the agent gave less increase of cytotoxicity. Enhanced NK cell activity was observed by the reintroduction of the agent. The level of re-enhanced cytotoxicity seemed to depend on the period after the cessation of OK-432 treatment. Low titer of interferon was detected in the sera from 10 patients within 36hrs after the first inoculation of the agent, suggesting that interferon may play a role in the potentiation of human NK cell activity by OK-432.

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