Observations on NK cells, K cells and on their function a long time after posttraumatic splenectomy.

Natural killer (NK) cell activity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of 48 posttraumatic splenectomy patients was found to be normal despite the increase in the proportion and the absolute number of large granular lymphocytes (LGLs). The NK cell activity of 2 further posttraumatic splenectomy cases was severely decreased, despite elevated number of LGLs and normal number of CD16+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Besides increased susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections, 1 of these patients developed herpes genitalis recidivans. Two posttraumatic splenectomy patients were found to have developed chronic lymphocytic leukemia 5 and 31 years following splenectomy, respectively.