Natural killer cell activity in patients with abnormalities of the uterine cervix.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 105 patients with various degrees of cervical dysplasia (normal/mild, moderate and severe) up to carcinoma in situ were assayed for natural killer cell activity against K562 cells and Chang liver cells in vitro. No difference was found between the natural killer cell activities of any of the groups of patients studied. In addition, the K cell activity of the patients' lymphocytes was assayed in an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity assay on Chang liver cells with anti-Chang cell antiserum. No difference was found between patient groups. There was no correlation between the presence of antibodies in the patients' serum to cytomegalovirus measured by anti-complement immunofluorescence and increased natural killer cell activity.