Figure 1.

NK cells from IBD patients have cytotoxic defects and altered phenotype. [A] Different effector to target [E:T] ratios of freshly isolated PBMCs from IBD patients and controls were incubated with K562 cells stained with Calcein-AM. Cytotoxicity was detected by quantification of fluorescence released in the media. Left: E:T ratio of 5:1; right: E:T ratio of 10:1 [n = 4–6]. [B] Flow-cytometry analysis of the production of granzyme B (mean fluorescence intensity [MFI]) of freshly isolated CD56^bright cells and CD56^dim cells from patients and controls [n = 12–16]. [C] Frequency and expression [MFI] of IFN-γ on CD56^bright cells [left panel] or CD56^dim cells [right panel] from patients and controls left unstimulated or stimulated for 18 h with IL-12 plus IL-15 cytokine combination [n = 14]. [D] Expression [MFI] of IL-17A [upper panel] and frequency [lower panel] of CD56^bright and CD56^dim cells of patients and controls [n = 17]. [E] Expression [MFI] of TNF-α [upper panel] and frequency [lower panel] of CD56^bright and CD56^dim cells of patients and controls [n = 11]. [F] Frequency of CD71 expression on CD56^bright cells and CD56^dim cells of patients and controls [n = 13]. Bars show the average value ± SEM. Samples were compared using a Student t test or two-way ANOVA as appropriate. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.