Decreased natural killer cell activity as a potential predictor of hypertensive incidence.

Introduction: Blood pressure is closely linked with immune function. This study examined the association between natural killer (NK) cell activity (NKA) and blood pressure and the development of hypertension according to NKA levels. Methods: This study enrolled 1543 adults who underwent NKA measurement and serial health check-ups at a medical center in Korea. NKA was estimated as the concentration of IFN-γ in the incubated whole blood containing a patented stimulatory cytokine. The participants were categorized into quartiles according to their NKA levels. Participants without hypertension were followed up, and the development of hypertension was compared according to the quartiles. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was not different among the NKA quartiles, whereas blood pressures significantly decreased, followed by an increment of quartiles (systolic blood pressure of 119.0 in Q1 and 117.0 in Q4, P-trend = 0.018). Over a mean follow-up period of 2.13 years, hypertension developed in 156 of 1170 individuals without baseline hypertension. The hazard ratio of Q4 compared with Q1 was 0.625 (95% CI: 0.397-0.983; p = 0.042). Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings indicate a correlation between lower NKA and higher blood pressure and the development of incident hypertension. This may suggest a potential protective role of NK cells against endothelial dysfunction. Further research is necessary to elucidate the specific relationship between immune functions and endothelial function.

Low Muscle and High Fat Percentages Are Associated with Low Natural Killer Cell Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study aimed to investigate whether body fat and muscle percentages are associated with natural killer cell activity (NKA). This was a cross-sectional study, conducted on 8058 subjects in a medical center in Korea. The association between the muscle and fat percentage tertiles and a low NKA, defined as an interferon-gamma level lower than 500 pg/mL, was assessed. In both men and women, the muscle mass and muscle percentage were significantly low in participants with a low NKA, whereas the fat percentage, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level were significantly high in those with a low NKA. Compared with the lowest muscle percentage tertile as a reference, the fully adjusted odd ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals (CIs)) for a low NKA were significantly lower in T2 (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.55-0.86) and T3 (OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.57-0.95) of men, and T3 (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59-0.99) of women. Compared with the lowest fat percentage tertile as a reference, the fully adjusted OR was significantly higher in T3 of men (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.01-1.69). A high muscle percentage was significantly inversely associated with a low NKA in men and women, whereas a high fat percentage was significantly associated with a low NKA in men.