K. Morimoto et al., Lifestyles and mental health status are associated with natural killer cell and lymphokine-activated killer cell activities, SCI TOTAL E, 270(1-3), 2001, pp. 3-11
We investigated the association of lifestyle and mental health status with
natural killer (NK) cell and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activit
ies in healthy males. NK cell activity was determined in 105 male workers a
nd LAK cell activity was determined in 54 male workers, peripheral blood wa
s obtained from each subject and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
were isolated from the blood. These PBMC were used as effector cells. LAK c
ells were generated by incubation of PBMC with interleukin-2 for 72 h. NK c
ell activity against NK-sensitive K562 cells and LAK cell activity against
NK-resistant Raji cells were examined by Cr-51 release assay. Overall lifes
tyles were evaluated according to the answers on a questionnaire regarding
eight health practices (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, eating brea
kfast, hours of sleep, hours of work, physical exercise, nutritional balanc
e, mental stress). Subjects with a good overall lifestyle showed significan
tly higher NK cell (P< 0.05) and LAK cell (P < 0.05) activities than those
with a poor overall lifestyles. Among eight lifestyle factors, cigarette sm
oking has relatively strong effects on NK cell and LAK cell activities. Sub
jects who complained of unstable mental status had significantly lower NK c
ell activity than those who reported stable mental status. When subjects we
re divided into four groups by lifestyle and mental health status, subjects
who had poor or moderate lifestyle and reported unstable mental status sho
wed the lowest NK cell activity and subjects who had good lifestyle and rep
orted stable mental status showed the highest NK cell activity among four g
roups. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.