{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]],"date-time":"2025-10-19T21:09:40Z","timestamp":1760908180845},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","content-domain":{"domain":["eje.bioscientifica.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1999,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND: Natural killer (NK) cells are CD3(-)CD16(+)CD56(+) bone-marrow-derived lymphocytes mediating first-line defence by direct cytotoxicity against various types of target cells without prior immunization. NK cell activity is positively regulated by immune interferon (IFN-gamma); among hormones, glucocorticoids are potent in vitro and in vivo inhibitors, whereas ACTH and beta-endorphin in many experimental circumstances enhance NK cytotoxicity. DESIGN: We measured NK cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained at 0800h and 2000h from 26 patients with Cushing's syndrome (12 pituitary-dependent, 12 adrenal-dependent and two dependent on ectopic ACTH secretion). In vitro responsiveness to IFN-gamma or cortisol was also tested. METHODS: NK activity was measured in a 4-h direct cytotoxicity assay using K562 cells as targets. Plasma ACTH, serum and urinary free cortisol were concomitantly measured with commercially available kits. RESULTS: Spontaneous activity and responsiveness to IFN-gamma or cortisol were significantly greater in 15 age- and sex-matched controls than in Cushing's patients at 0800h. In pituitary-dependent Cushing's patients, plasma ACTH correlated positively with mean levels of spontaneous NK activity (r=0.64, P&lt;0.05) and negatively with cortisol-dependent percentage inhibition (r=-0.69, P&lt;0.02). In adrenal-dependent Cushing's patients, a negative correlation was observed between levels of spontaneous NK activity and urinary free cortisol (r=-0.67, P&lt;0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that excess endogenous glucocorticoids affect spontaneous NK cell activity and responsiveness to exogenous IFN-gamma or cortisol. The differential patterns observed between pituitary-dependent and adrenal-dependent groups are compatible with a positive immunomodulatory role of pituitary pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides that effectively counterbalance, at least partially, glucocorticoid immunosuppression.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1530\/eje.0.1400299","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,1,24]],"date-time":"2005-01-24T21:34:41Z","timestamp":1106602481000},"page":"299-306","update-policy":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1530\/crossmarkpolicy-1","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Natural killer cell activity in the peripheral blood of patients with Cushing's syndrome"],"prefix":"10.1093","author":[{"given":"RG","family":"Masera","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Staurenghi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"ML","family":"Sartori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Angeli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","container-title":["European Journal of Endocrinology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/eje.bioscientifica.com\/view\/journals\/eje\/140\/4\/299.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/eje.bioscientifica.com\/view\/journals\/eje\/140\/4\/299.xml","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,14]],"date-time":"2023-02-14T16:26:38Z","timestamp":1676391998000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ejendo\/article\/140\/4\/299\/6748446"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1999,4,1]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/eje.0.1400299","relation":{},"ISSN":["0804-4643","1479-683X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0804-4643","type":"print"},{"value":"1479-683X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1999,4,1]]}}}