Changes in natural killer cell subpopulations in lead workers |
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Authors: | F Sata S Araki T Tanigawa Y Morita Susumu Sakurai Naochika Katsuno |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan Fax: + 81-3-3816-4751, JP;(2) Clinical Laboratory, Tokyo University Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan, JP |
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Abstract: | To investigate the effects of lead on human immune system, we analyzed T cell subpopulations (CD4+, CD8+ and CD3+ cells), natural killer (NK) cell subpopulations (CD16+ and CD57+ cells) and B (CD19+) cells in peripheral blood in 29 male lead workers. All were engaged in manufacturing lead stearate in a chemical factory. They were aged 23–74 (mean 49) years. Their blood lead concentrations (PbB) were between 7 and 35 (mean 18) μg/dl. They were divided into two groups according to their PbB: a high-PbB group (?20?μg/dl), and a low-PbB group (<20?μg/dl). The control group consisted of 19 “healthy” male workers without a history of occupational exposure to lead or to other hazardous substances, aged 48–67 (mean 58) years. The number and percentage of CD16+ cells in the high-PbB group were significantly lower than those in the controls and in the low-PbB group. There was significant negative correlation between the number of CD16+ cells and PbB in the lead workers. The percentage of CD8+ cells in the high-PbB group was larger than that in the controls and in the low-PbB group. It is suggested that the CD16+ NK cell should be a major site of the effects of lead on lymphocyte subpopulations. |
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Keywords: | Natural killer (NK) cells Lymphocyte subpopulations CD16 antigen Lead NK cell differentiation |
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