What is considered low NK cell function?

[Adrift2inAZ]

I hope this gets added to my quote above cause apparently I can't even think straight to work anything out.

I have a bunch of other test results I didn't notice until now:
1. Lymphocyte, percent -- 18 out of a range of 10-45 %
2. Lymphocyte, Absolute -- 1300 out of a range of 600-5500 Cells/uL
3. CD3, Percent -- 69.4 our of a range of 61.0-80.0 %
4. CD8, Percent -- 18.1 out of a range of 15.0-32.0 %
5. CD19, Percent -- 15.3 out of a range of 9.0-19.0
6. CD3, Absolute -- 902 out of a range of 606-3187 /uL
7. CD4, Absolute -- 640 out of a range of 365-2087 /uL
8. CD8, Absolute -- 235 out of a range of 154-1264 /uL
9. CD 19, Absolute -- 199 out of a range of 89-747 /uL
10. CD 16/56, Absolute -- 199 out of a range of 26-497 /uL

 

[Kati]

Hi @Adrift2inAZ the tests you have provided do not include Nk cell function test. You have been given a nk cell count and fraction (percentage).

in patients with ME, sometimes NK cell count is within range but despite that, their functioning is not right. This test is quite expensive aand only done in a few labs, and your sample needs to arrive at said laboratory within 24 hours.

Your lymphocyte counts seem normal but it does not mean that you are not sick. There are many of us out there with fairly unremarkable blood work and still we are still sick. It's just that science has not been funded to understand what's wrong.

In regards to viruses, what is key to understand is, are your titers representing latency or are they representing active viruses? The best recommendation I can make is to seek out help from ME experts who will know what to test for, and how to interpret everything in your context. It is invaluable.

Edit to add: scientists like Ian Lipkin and Mady Hornig show there is an immune change for pts as time goes, so the cytokines and immune changes that you had early in illness disappear.

 

[Adrift2inAZ]

Hi @Adrift2inAZ the tests you have provided do not include Nk cell function test. You have been given a nk cell count and fraction (percentage).

in patients with ME, sometimes NK cell count is within range but despite that, their functioning is not right. This test is quite expensive aand only done in a few labs, and your sample needs to arrive at said laboratory within 24 hours.

Your lymphocyte counts seem normal but it does not mean that you are not sick. There are many of us out there with fairly unremarkable blood work and still we are still sick. It's just that science has not been funded to understand what's wrong.

In regards to viruses, what is key to understand is, are your titers representing latency or are they representing active viruses? The best recommendation I can make is to seek out help from ME experts who will know what to test for, and how to interpret everything in your context. It is invaluable.

Edit to add: scientists like Ian Lipkin and Mady Hornig show there is an immune change for pts as time goes, so the cytokines and immune changes that you had early in illness disappear.

OK, I had no idea as this is what my MD said were right to order. I have been looking for an ME expert here in AZ for over a decade and the only ones I found were naturopaths who charged me a huge amount of money for vitamin infusions that never worked for me years before and didn't then. In fact, I am so depressed re: doctors and medicine, I pray nightly to die in my sleep.

I have used all my money and what tiny bit of remaining health I had to go from one doctor to another for years, only to wind up worse off now than ever.

I wish there were a genuine ME doctor here, but thus far I have found none and wasted money, time and thousands of miles looking and going to ones who claimed they were, so I am broke and homeless at this point. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't have wasted so many years of time and money trying to get well and relying on doctors who truly don't care about patients.

I do appreciate all the rest of the info you provided. I recall reading it before but of course forgot it all. Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Kati]

Hi @Adrift2inAZ there are very few ME experts around the world, and none that we know of in Arizona. The closest experts for you would be Lake Tahoe (Dr Peterson) and Open Medicine Institute and Dr Jose Montoya (SF Bay area), perhaps Dr Chia in LA greater area (who has enterovirus as a cause of ME views). Dr Bateman in Utah is another expert.

I think many things will be shaken in the ME research world in the next couple of years and there is a lot of hope to be had. Meanwhile, we are all more or less on stand-by, living as best as we can. Many are very, very sick while others can work but we are all sick and we are a community over here. It's great to have that kind of support.

Sending my best wishes. Do not lose sight of hope.

 

[Adrift2inAZ]

Hi @Adrift2inAZ there are very few ME experts around the world, and none that we know of in Arizona. The closest experts for you would be Lake Tahoe (Dr Peterson) and Open Medicine Institute and Dr Jose Montoya (SF Bay area), perhaps Dr Chia in LA greater area (who has enterovirus as a cause of ME views). Dr Bateman in Utah is another expert.

I think many things will be shaken in the ME research world in the next couple of years and there is a lot of hope to be had. Meanwhile, we are all more or less on stand-by, living as best as we can. Many are very, very sick while others can work but we are all sick and we are a community over here. It's great to have that kind of support.

Sending my best wishes. Do not lose sight of hope.

I wish I could be healthy enough and wealthy enough to move to any those places, truthfully.

I also have always wanted to be wealthy so I could set up "group homes" for people as sick as we are since so many people still don't believe what we have exists. I even was looking for others with this horrible disease in the area to be roommates, etc., thinking we could all help one another, but apparently, the ones I've met here are healthier than I am and healthier than most of us.

It is hard to hang on to hope, but I try my best. Thank you.

 

[catherinejoy]

Hi everyone, I've had my natural killer tests done and the result is CD16+CD56 NK- cells % 13 (% of lymphocytes 7-31). I'm very new to this and I've been told the results aren't abnormal, but to me 13% seems low... I've googled until my eyes crossed and would really love a simple interpretation please! Thanks so much

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Hi everyone, I've had my natural killer tests done and the result is CD16+CD56 NK- cells % 13 (% of lymphocytes 7-31). I'm very new to this and I've been told the results aren't abnormal, but to me 13% seems low... I've googled until my eyes crossed and would really love a simple interpretation please! Thanks so much

That is very normal. It is the percentage of all your lymphocytes that are NK. Most of your lymphocytes are T cells, there are also a good, but variable, number of B cells and NK cells are a also small proportion.

NK cell numbers in ME/CFS are probably normal so this test is not likely to help much anyway. What is more unclear is whether the ability of NK cells to kill other cells is low (NK function). Some research groups find this, others do not.

 

[catherinejoy]

That is very normal. It is the percentage of all your lymphocytes that are NK. Most of your lymphocytes are T cells, there are also a good, but variable, number of B cells and NK cells are a also small proportion.

NK cell numbers in ME/CFS are probably normal so this test is not likely to help much anyway. What is more unclear is whether the ability of NK cells to kill other cells is low (NK function). Some research groups find this, others do not.

Great, thank you very much!

 

[Kati]

@catherinejoy indeed it was not the right test. NK cell function is only done at a few labs, one being Quest and the other one in Miami at the Fletcher lab. It is time sensitive also and determines how efficient your NK cells are.

 

[natalia.fdc]

Hello all; I know this is an old thread but haven't found a lot of information online and would like to see if anyone has some insight.

I just received my Nkc test results and don't know if something might be wrong with me:

*Lymphocytes, Absolute: 1005 (range of 850-3900 cells/uL)
*CD3-CD16+CD56+ (Absolute): 43 (range of 70-760 cells/uL)
*CD3-CD16+CD56+ (%): 4 (range of 4-25%)
In addition, this was out of range:
*IgE: 3.41 (range of 20.40 - 87 UI/mL)

A little bit of background info:
I don't feel sick, but sometimes get a normal flu. My doctor ordered these tests because my baby girl was stillborn at 37 weeks of pregnancy and we don't know why (everything was normal in my pregnancy). I don't have any type of allergies or known conditions.

I will go to visit my doctor in the following weeks, but would like to see if I can find something out in the meantime...

Thank you all,
Natalia

 

[Kati]

Hello all; I know this is an old thread but haven't found a lot of information online and would like to see if anyone has some insight.

I just received my Nkc test results and don't know if something might be wrong with me:

*Lymphocytes, Absolute: 1005 (range of 850-3900 cells/uL)
*CD3-CD16+CD56+ (Absolute): 43 (range of 70-760 cells/uL)
*CD3-CD16+CD56+ (%): 4 (range of 4-25%)
In addition, this was out of range:
*IgE: 3.41 (range of 20.40 - 87 UI/mL)

A little bit of background info:
I don't feel sick, but sometimes get a normal flu. My doctor ordered these tests because my baby girl was stillborn at 37 weeks of pregnancy and we don't know why (everything was normal in my pregnancy). I don't have any type of allergies or known conditions.

I will go to visit my doctor in the following weeks, but would like to see if I can find something out in the meantime...

Thank you all,
Natalia

Hi @natalia.fdc so very sorry for your loss. Your NK cell count is low, but it is hard to determine why. Moreover, how long post partum the blood was collected may also be a factor. We are for the most part no doctors here.

In relation to ME/CFS, the bigger interest in relation to the NK cells is the functionality, or ability to kill foreign cells. The test was not performed from what I can see above. The NKcell % you provided is simply relating to the fraction of NK cells amongst all bloodcells it would be low-ish because your absolute number is low.

Sending best wishes.

 

[Seven7]

Well in my case I have cfs but I also have Natural killer cell dysfunction (low NK number, which is a recognized syndrome) if one has a separate issue where you have this sydnrome, you have to address it. I have been trying to increase mine for about 7 years or so. Mine were 1% barely existing. I go from 0 to 5% but stay in the low end.

 

[me/cfs 27931]

When I went to Open Medicine Institute last year, I was told my very low NK cell count was common in ME/CFS. I did not have an NK cell function test.

 

[TrixieStix]

When I went to Open Medicine Institute last year, I was told my very low NK cell count was common in ME/CFS. I did not have an NK cell function test.

I too am an OMI patient and testing showed my NK Cell Function to be well below normal range. However I have learned that diminished NK Cell Function and/or low NK Cell Count are also found in patients with various autoimmune diseases. So definitely important to make sure AI conditions are not overlooked. Also for example the AI disease Sjogren's has a high rate of seronegativity (up to 20%) so negative tests do not automatically mean no disease.

"Over the last 30 years, many studies have reported decreased NK cell numbers or impairment of NK cell cytotoxicity in the peripheral blood of patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, and type I diabetes mellitus."
https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar4232
https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar4232
https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar4232
I am headed back to my rheumatologist for another consult based on the results of my blood testing at OMI.

 

[Timaca]

Just found this thread. I also have low NK Cell funtion. I do not have autoimmune disease. It does seem like my CFS is viral related, especially HSV1 and Cox B4. (not to mention a few others....)

I'm actually feeling the best ever in the 14 years of my illness. I wonder what my NK Cell function test was when i felt really awful. My numbers are pretty low now.....

Wishing everyone better health for 2018!

 

[Nickster]

@Timaca thats good to hear you are feeling better. What do you attribute to you feeling better?

 

[Timaca]

@Nickster
Antimicrobial medication has helped me. Currently I am on Valtrex, 500 mg twice a day. In June I tried dropping it to once a day and that did not work. I had significantly more HSV1 problems...which include systemic neurological problems.

I also have had to give up LOTS of different (healthy) foods. It seems the viruses I'm battling set off food intolerance issues in me. Rice is the only grain I can eat. I can eat legumes. I can only eat very fresh fish....no other animal protein. I can't eat nuts, seeds, berries, corn or yeast. I can eat most vegetables, but I'm leery of the nightshade ones. I eat LOTS of sweet potatoes and yams. I can eat many fruits.

Finally, Manuka Honey has helped me (surprisingly). I think it is killing off some pathogens.

Today, for example, I got up around 5:30 a.m., did 15 minutes of yoga, ate breakfast, cleaned a small bathroom (half bath--no shower), vacuumed the downstairs, vacuumed part of our stairs, and cleaned the kitchen sink. Then, at 9 a.m., I went for a 3 mile, rather strenuous hike. I have only attempted this hike 3 times in the 14 years of my illness and today I hiked it well! I was so happy! I stopped by the grocery store, had friends over to watch some football, did a half hour of yoga (2 15 minute segments), did dishes and I'll go to bed shortly. I did take a 20 minute rest sometime during the afternoon. Truly this was an awesome day for me and I hope it continues and others with CFS can experience this too!

 

[Nickster]

The antivirals seem to help many patients. Dr Lerner was big on this protocol. It is nice to hear that this has helped you. It seems that patients need to continue on this treatment. My son has severe sensitivities to sound, smell, sight and food. It's so hard to find relief. He is housebound and just about bedbound.The dr for my son wants to do plasmapheresis and Rituximab.

It is so encouraging to hear your story.

 

[DaliaSmith27]

Can anyone help me interpret my NK cell function test from Quest?

 

[heapsreal]

Can anyone help me interpret my NK cell function test from Quest?

It should have a reference range, so if not within the reference range than its an issue.