Regulatory Natural Killer Cell Expression in Atopic Children with Respiratory Allergy

Abstract

We sought to investigate the expression of regulatory natural killer (NK) cells (CD56+CD16+ Cd158+) in atopic children with respiratory allergy and to assess the relation of these cells to disease severity and level of control. It was a cross sectional controlled study that was carried out in the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams University. The study included 45 patients with physician diagnosed respiratory allergy with verified atopy (indicated by positive skin prick test to one or more of the tested allergens), who were enrolled consecutively after fulfillment of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Forty healthy age and sex matched children were enrolled as a control group. An informed consent was taken prior to enrollment. The patients were subjected to full clinical evaluation including degree of asthma severity and control, duration of illness and presence of allergic rhinitis and measurement of total IgE. Both patients and controls were subjected to laboratory assessment by complete blood counting and manual differential and flow cytometric measurement of NK cell counts and percentages expressing CD16+ CD56+ surface markers, in addition to percentages and counts of CD16+ CD56+ CD158+ NK cells (regulatory NK cells).