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The activities of natural killer (NK) cells and T-killers of mice after transplantation of allogeneic ovaries were studied. It was shown that during first month after transplantation cytotoxic and membrano-toxic activities of these effector cells were increased. Activation of NK and T-killers depends on tension of transplantation immunity and may serve as prognostic criteria of rejection.

Genetic control over sensitivity to experimental adjuvant arthritis was studied in different strains of inbred, recombinant and congeneic mice. The development of adjuvant arthritis is genetically regulated, with sensitivity to adjuvant arthritis controlled by H62-complex. The genes controlling sensitivity to adjuvant arthritis were shown to be located in (S-region) H-2 system.

Functional activity of natural killers (NK) was examined in 67 patients with chronic virus and alcoholic liver diseases, chronic nonspecific reactive and drug hepatitides. The activity of NK was found to be reduced in the groups of patients with chronic virus nonspecific reactive and drug hepatitides. Suppression of NK was most pronounced in patients with virus chronic active hepatitis. No statistically significant alterations in NK were discovered in the groups of patients with liver cirrhoses depending on the etiological factor and activity of the pathological process. The use of immunosuppressive therapy for active liver diseases led to further inhibition of natural cytotoxicity.

The kinetics of the migration of the precursors of natural killer cells (NKC) from the bone marrow to the peripheral lymphoid organs has been studied. The total irradiation of C57BL/6 mice, BALB/c mice and (CBA X X C57BL/6)F1 hybrid mice in a lethal dose has been found to completely inhibit NKC. The partial protection of the bone marrow during irradiation leads to the complete regeneration of NKC in the spleen in 30-60 days. On the contrary, in the lymph nodes no NKC repopulation has been observed. The possible mechanisms of the migration of the precursors of NKC from the bone marrow are discussed. It is suggested that the precursors of NKC migrate from the bone marrow and finally differentiate into NKC in the spleen.

The results of the study on the functional activity of natural killers (NK) and serum interferon in 118 children ranging in age from 3 months to 5 years suffering from influenza and other acute respiratory viral diseases complicated with croup, pneumonia, and obstructive syndrome (66 children with influenza, 21 with parainfluenza, 16 with adenovirus infection, and 15 with respiratory syncytial virus diseases) are presented. The control group consisted of 22 normal children. Decreased NK activity was demonstrated in the acute period of all ARVD but was more marked in adenovirus disease and complications with pneumonia, bronchiolitis, obstructive syndrome. While in hospital, children with low interferon titres developed a new acute viral disease more frequently or their principal disease was complicated with pneumonia. The detection of NK cell inhibition in some patients with ARVD complicated with pneumonia, bronchiolitis and decreased serum interferon levels in these patients are considered as indications for administration of immunotherapy (levamisole, zixorin, cathergen).

The functional activity of natural killer cells in mice with experimentally induced autoimmune (adjuvant) arthritis and in NZB mice with genetically determined autoimmune disturbances has been studied. A charp suppression of natural killer cells has been shown to occur in the process of the development and in the course of adjuvant arthritis. A similar picture has been noted in the study of natural killer cells in NZB mice, suppression in these mice occurring simultaneously with the appearance of the signs of autoimmune disturbances. The activity of natural killer cells in the lymph nodes of NZB mice has proved to be absent practically during the whole period of study. The preventive role of natural killer cells in autoimmunity is suggested.

The results of the study of functional activity of normal killers in different liver diseases: acute virus hepatitis A (26 patients), acute virus hepatitis B (24 patients including 3 with hepatic coma), and 12 patients with chronic liver diseases including 8 with chronic persisting hepatitis and 4 with chronic active hepatitis are presented. A control group included 17 apparently normal subjects. The most marked decrease of the level of activity of normal killers was found in hepatic coma and in chronic active hepatitis. The expedience of determinations of the activity level of normal killers for prognosis of immediate and remote outcomes of viral hepatitides as well as for the development of new methods of immunocorrecting therapy is discussed.