• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of symptom distress and natural killer cell cytotoxicity in breast cancer patients who had been radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy after surgery. Symptom distress measured by modified Lee's(1994) physical symptom questionnaire. For measuring the natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. 8ml to 10ml blood was collected from the subjects. Mononuclear cell was isolated by centrifuge of the blood and cultured by putting $Cr^{51}$, and reacted with target cell, K562 cell. Amount of $Cr^{51}$ was measured, and %lysis was calculated. The results were as follows. 1) Symptom distress score was 42.18, which is moderate symptom distress. 2) Natural killer cell cytotoxic activities were 42.18%lysis(effector : target cell ratio=100 : 1) and 28.05%lysis(effector : target cell ratio=50 : 1). 3) Correlation coefficients of symptom distress and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity were $-.134{\sim}-.461$. Though significant correlation was not found between total score of symptom distress and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity, 3('pain' 'feel hot on radiation site' and 'difficulty in breathing') of 19 symptom distress items and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity showed significant negative correlation(p<.05). These findings suggest that 1) breast cancer patients who had been radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy after surgery have moderate symptom distress and decreased natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. 2) The symptom distress was not related to natural killer cell cytotoxic activity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 1987

The number of splenic lymphocyte, serum prostaglandin $E_2$ level and natural killer cell activity were assayed after single whole body irradiation of a sublethal dose of $^{60}Co-{\gamma}$ ray to C57BL/6J mice. With a view to knowing the relationships between radiation induced prostaglandin $E_2$ level and the normal natural killer cell activity after natural killer cell-target cell conjugation, The change of normal natural killer cell activity were measured by administration of prostaglandin $E_2$ containing serum from irradiated mice. The results were summarized as follows; 1. The total number of splenic lymphocyte was significantly decreased by irradiation and the number was not affected by indometacin, prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, treatment. 2. Serum prostaglandin $E_2$ level was increased in irradiated mice, but indometacin treated mice group showed low level of prostaglandin $E_2$. 3. In the case of irradiated mice, natural killer cell activity was not shown any difference between irradiated group and indometacin combined group. But when natural killer cell-target cell conjugations were exposed to the serum of each group during cytotoxic activity assay, whereas the normal natural killer cell activity was significantly decreased by treatment of serum from irradiated mice, the activity was not changed by treatment of indometacin pretreated mice serum. This result indicated that the prostaglandin $E_2$ induced by the radiation inhibited the post-target binding cytolytic process of natural killer activity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.23-27
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• 1997

This study was performed to examine the anti-cancer effect of Red Ginseng in the DENGalN-PH-induced hepatic tumor model system in rats. One hundred of male SPF Sprague-Dawley rats(6weeks old) were randomly divided into five groups. Rats in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were administered to diethylnitrosamine intraperitoneally 200 mg/kg body weight for the caner initiation. Rats in group 5 were given to saline as a control. On two weeks after cancer initiation, rats in groups 1 and 3 were fed on diet containing 0.01% of acethylaminofiuorene(AAF) which is strong cancer-promotor for 6 weeks, while rats in groups 2 and 4 were fed on water containing 0.05% of phenobarbital which is weak cancer.promotor for 6 weeks. Rats in groups 1 and 2 were treated with diet containing 3% of Red Ginseng for six weeks(from 9th week till 15th week after cancer initiation). Rats in all groups were necropsied time-sequencially at 8, 15, and 36 weeks. The hepatic lesions of rat treated with carcinogens expressed glutathione S-transferase placental form(GST-P) at 8 week. The GST-P positive foci of rats treated with AAF were larger than that of any other rats, while the GST-P positive foci of rats treated with AAF and red ginseng were significantly decreased. This anti-cancer effect of Red ginseng might be involved in the enhacement of natural killer cell activity. To know whether there is direct relationship between Red Ginseng and natural killer cell activity, the activity of natural killer cell was examined after treatment AAF, AAF+Red ginseng and Red ginseng only, respectively. Comparing with natural killer cell activity in AAF-treated group, natural killer cell activity was significantly activated in AAF+ Red ginseng-treated group. This indicated that Red ginseng might enhance natural killer activity after treatment carcinogen in rats. These results suggested that Red ginseng might have a cancer prevention ability by promoting natural killer cell activity during hepatocarclnogenesis.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.355-360
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• 1987

The immunopotenciating effects of ethanol extract, butanol fraction and petroleum ether extract of Korean Ginseng on the immunotoxicity of mitomycin C were investigated in mice. A single administration of mitomycin C induced an apparent but relatively transient reduction of spleen weight, hemagglutination titer, Arthus reaction, RFC and natural killer cell activity. Ethanol extract of Ginseng significantly restored spleen weight, HA titer, RFC and natural killer cell activity. Butanol fraction of Ginseng significantly restored HA titer, RFC and natural killer cell activity. Petroleum ether extract of Ginseng very significantly restored spleen weight, Arthus reaction, DTH, RFC and natural killer cell activity.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.59-68
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise program on natural killer cell cytotoxic activity(NKCA) in breast cancer patients who had been radiation therapy after surgery. The subjects in the experimental group consisted of 11 breast cancer patients, while the subjects in the control group consisted of 15. Subjects in the experimental group participated in exercise program for 8 weeks. Exercise program consisted of shoulder stretching, arm weight training and treadmill walking exercise. They started to exercise on treadmill for 20 minutes per day, 3 times a week at 40% of maximum heart rate, and increased intensity and duration of exercise so that they were running 30 minutes/day at 60% of maximum heart rate from the 3rd week to the 8th week. Natural killer cell cytotoxic activity were determined before and after the exercise program. For measuring the natural killer cell cytotoxic activity, 8ml to 10ml blood was collected from the subjects. Mononuclear cell was isolated by centrifuge of the blood and cultured by putting $Cr^{51}$, and reacted with target cell, K562 cell. Baseline demographic and medical data were compared between groups with the Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. For effects of the exercise program, repeated measures ANOVA was used. The result was as follows; Natural killer cell cytotoxic activity(NKCA) in experimental group comparing with control group significantly increased after the exercise program in case of effector cell : target cell ratio is 100 : 1(p<0.05). The above result suggest that the exercise program for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy after breast surgery may increase the natural killer cell cytotoxic activity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 1986

The immunopotentiating effect of ethanol extract, butanol fraction and petroleum ether extract of Panax ginseng on the immunotoxicity of benzo(a)pyrene were investigated in mice. A single administration of benzo(a)pyrene induced an apparent but relatively transient reduction in HY titer, Arthus reaction, delayed type hypersensitivity, rosette forming cell and natural killer cell activity Ethanol extract very significantly restored HY titer, Arthus reaction. RFC and natural killer cell activity. Butanol fraction have no effect. But petroleum ether extract very significantly restored humoral and cellular immune response and especially natural killer cell activity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.469-474
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• 1989

The changes of plasma prostaglandin $E_2$ level, natural killer cell activity and tumor cell growth were assayed after transplantation of EL-4 leukemia cells in C57BL/6 mice. The results were summarized as follows; 1. Plasma prostaglandin $E_2$ level was increased in EL-4 bearing mice, but indomethacin treated mice group showed low level. 2. The tumor-derived prostaglandin $E_2$ inhibited the post-target binding cytolytic process of natural killer activity. 3. Indomethacin inhibited the growth of prostaglandin secreting EL-4 solid tumor.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.245-250
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• 1992

This study was performed to demonstrate the presence of large granular lymphocyte(LGL) in Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats and morphologically observe NK cell and also establish the method of isolation of natural killer cell in SD rats. By percoll discontinuous density gradients centrifugation, highly enriched LGL population were shown to fraction 2(border line between 44.2% and 50.8%). LGL were shown to bind selectively to YAC1 mouse lymphoma cell. This fraction expressed very high NK cell cytolysis. Therefore, we thought that LGL have NK activity in SD rats. The Morphology of rat LGL is very similar to that of human LGL. These cells have an eccentric kidney-shaped nucleus. Their most distinctive feature was their cytoplasmic azurophilic granules. Another distinguishing feature of rat LGL was their high cytoplasmic : nuclear ratio. It was concluded that LGL played a role part in mediating natural killer activity in this species.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 1995

A comparison was made between the effect of subjective stress and that of objective stress on immune function in male medical college students. Interaction between perceived stress, psychopathology and natural killer-cell(NK) activity was assessed during an exam period, non-exam period, and vacation. No significant difference was found in NK activity among these three periods, but scores of perceived stress related to unusual happenings during an exam period and related to interpersonal relationship during vacation were found to have significantly positive correlation with NK activity, respectively. In psychopathology, only scores of anxiety during an exam period had significantly positive correlation with NK activity. These results suggest that immune function is more likely to be affected by subjective stress than objective stress and that subjective stress such as some perceived stress and subclinical level of anxiety may positively affect immune function.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2012

Aim : Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that lyse certain tumor- and virus-infected cells without any prior stimulation or immunization. This article aims to review the significance of evaluating peripheral blood NK cells to predict anti-tumor immune function and prognosis in cancer patients. Methods : PubMed was used to create a database for this review. Search words of cancer, natural killer cell, prognosis were used to retrieve related articles. References of the collected articles were also reviewed. Results : Current evidence indicates that decreased or absent NK cell count or activity is mostly associated with the development or progression of cancer. In patients with various types of cancer, NK cell activity was mostly associated with the cancer prognosis and survival despite some conflicting results. Conclusion : The data shows the evaluation of anti-tumor immunity in cancer patients through natural killer cell measurement still remains a controversial matter. However, it is clear that the NK cell activity plays an important role in cancer and is associated with prevention of both early stage and metastatic cancer.