Clinical Detection of Peripheral Blood Natural Killer Cell Activity

Abstract

Natural Killer (NK) cells are specific immune cells in human immune system. They have a quick effect and can exert a cytotoxic function without prior sensitization, and they show great application potential in cell-based immunotherapy, anti-infection in vivo. NK cell activity in peripheral blood can be used as one of the biomarkers of immune function response. It has a great positive guiding significance for the clinical prognosis of tumor patients, the prevention of cancer and anti-aging. The clinical detection strategies of NK cell activity in circulation mainly grouped into five types: methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium colorimetric, lactate dehydrogenase release, radionuclide labeling, flow cytometry and NK Vue cytokine release method. It has played an important role in different stages of clinical application development. This paper will make a comparative review of the above-mentioned detection strategies for the NK cell activity.