ABSTRACT

The immunological status of a women with hereditary hemochromatosis, with high level of plasma iron concentration before starting phlebotomy treatment, showed alteration of T cell number, function and decrease of NK cell activity. Since suppression of NK cell activity may be mediate partly by soluble factors presented in sera, evaluation effects of hemochromatosis patients serum on NK cell activity of healthy persons in vitro condition was included. PBMC of the healthy donors 18 h cultured in presence of a hemochromatosis patient's serum showed significant decrease of NK cell activity in comparison to PBMC cultured in presence of the healthy person's AB serum (student's t-test p < 0.05). The results of NK cell alteration in vitro condition for each effector to target ration, suggested that hemochromatosis patient's serum exhibits an inhibitory effect on immunological parameters, especially on NK cells that could explain the high risk for malignancy in hemochromatosis and consequtive virus disease.

Key words: Hemochromatosis patient's serum - T and B lymphocytes - NK cells - LDH release assay - Cell culture

Correspondence to:
Vladimir Jurisic
Medical faculty, University of Kragujevac
S. Markovic street 69, P.O. Box 124, 34000 Kragujevac, Yugoslavia
Tel / Fax: + 34 370 137