Morphological-functional characteristics of natural killers-T-cells in patients with liver cancer

The functional analysis of natural-killers-T-cells (NKT-cells) of the liver and the study of their immunologic phenotype are extremely important in the evaluation of Ihe role of NKT-cells in anti-tumor immunity. The aim of the study was to investigate the phenotype and functional activity of mononuctear cells (MNCs) released from intact and paratumoral liver sites of cancer patients as compared to mononuclear cells of peripheral blood (MCPB). NK-activity and cytostatic ability of MNCs were determined by the cytotoxic test- Immunophenotyping was carried out by the method of flow cytometry. Our results showed that liver MNCs especially released from parametastatic sites significantly differed from MCPB of the same patients by their immunologic phenotype and cytotoxic activity. Liver MNCs express both differentiated antigens-of T-lymphocytes (CD3) and NK-markers (CD57) on their surface having a high level of NK-activity and lysing autologous tumor cells. All these characteristics allow us to attribute liver MNCs of cancer patients to a population ofNKT-cells, which can be used in immunotherapy of liver metastascs.