Correlation of circulating natural killer cell count with prognosis in large cell lymphoma.

A monoclonal antibody recognizing a natural killer (NK) cell-associated antigen was used to sequentially quantify numbers of peripheral blood NK cells in a small group of patients with large cell lymphoma. Patients with active disease had low numbers (less than 100/mm3) of NK cells. Patients in complete remission after therapy had normal numbers of NK cells, but those patients who relapsed had a fall of NK cell number to less than 100/mm3 preceding or concurrent with clinical relapse. A role for NK cells in the surveillance and control of abnormal lymphoproliferation is suggested, as is the possible prognostic utility of sequential peripheral blood NK cell quantification in patients with large cell lymphoma.