Flow Cytometric Analysis of Natural Killer Cell Lytic Activity in Human Whole Blood

Summary

This work describes an advanced workflow for the accurate and fast determination of NK (Natural Killer) cell count and NK cell cytotoxicity in human blood samples.

Abstract

NK cell cytotoxicity is a widely used measure to determine the effect of outside intervention on NK cell function. However, the accuracy and reproducibility of this assay can be considered unstable, either because of user's errors or because of the sensitivity of NK cells to experimental manipulation. To eliminate these issues, a workflow that reduces them to a minimum was established and is presented here. To illustrate, we obtained blood samples, at various time points, from runners (n = 4) that were submitted to an intense bout of exercise. First, NK cells are simultaneously identified and isolated through CD56 tagging and magnetic-based sorting, directly from whole blood and from as little as one milliliter. The sorted NK cells are removed of any reagent or capping antibodies. They can be counted in order to establish an accurate NK cell count per milliliter of blood. Secondly, the sorted NK cells (effectors cells or E) can be mixed with 3,3'-Diotadecyloxacarbocyanine Perchlorate (DiO) tagged K562 cells (target cells or T) at an assay-optimal 1:5 T:E ratio, and analyzed using an imaging flow-cytometer that allows for the visualization of each event and the elimination of any false positive or false negatives (such as doublets or effector cells). This workflow can be completed in about 4 h, and allows for very stable results even when working with human samples. When available, research teams can test several experimental interventions in human subjects, and compare measurements across several time points without compromising the data's integrity.

Introduction

Natural killer cells are an essential element of the innate immune system. While they are very regulated, they have the capability to recognize and eliminate abnormal cells through cell-to-cell contact and without prior activation¹. As such, they form a quick line of defense against infections. Exercise, especially intense, has been shown to transiently depress the immune system^2,3,4,5. NK cells are particularly prone to this effect^4,6,

Protocol

NOTE: All blood collection procedures were conducted in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Appalachian State University (ASU) Institutional Review Board (IRB).

1. Whole Blood Collection

1. Have a certified phlebotomist draw blood according to World Health Organization's guidelines.
2. Draw blood into one 4 ml blood collection tube containing Di-Potassium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K₂EDTA). Invert blood collection tube according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keep blood collection tube at room temperature on a bench-top rocker until separation.

2. Preparation....

Results

Determination of NK cell count
The effect of heavy running on NK cell count in whole blood was measured, using the exercise protocol described in Figure 2. Blood samples were drawn before exercise, immediately after exercise, 1.5 h after exercise, and finally 24 and 48 h after the initial blood draw. The concentration of NK cells per milliliter of whole blood was measured for each runner (Figure 3A) and on average (Figure 3B) for each.......

Discussion

The method described in this study directly measures the specific activity of an individual's NK cells in response to stimuli (in this particular case, prolonged exercise). Typically, NK cells are isolated from one's blood using density gradients or cell sorting by using a combination of markers. While these methods are widely used, they have many drawbacks: they are time consuming, involve multiple manipulations, and are heavily user dependent. As a result, undue stress is placed on the isolated NK cells, which .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
K-562 lymphoblasts	ATCC	CCL-243
Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Media	ATCC	30-2005	High glucose, with L-Glutamine, with HEPES, Sterile-filtered
Alpha Minimum Essential medium	ATCC	CRL-2407	Without ribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleosides but with 2 mM L-glutamine and 1.5 g/L sodium bicarbonate
Trypan Blue Solution 0.4%	Amresco	K940-100ML	Tissue culture grade
Propridium Iodide Staining Solution	BD Pharmingen	51-66211E
Vybranto DiO cell-labeling solution	Vybranto	V-22886
autoMACS Pro Separator	Miltenyi Biotec	130-092-545
autoMACS Running Buffer	Miltenyi Biotec	130-091-221
autoMACS Washing Buffer	Miltenyi Biotec	130-092-987
autoMACS Columns	Miltenyi Biotec	130-021-101
Whole Blood CD56 MicroBeads, human	Miltenyi Biotec	130-090-875
ImageStream X Mark II Imaging Flow Cytometer	EMD Millipore
Speedbeads	Amnis Corporation	400030
0.4-0.7% Hypochlorite (Sterilizer)	VWR	JT9416-1
Coulter Clenz	Beckman Coulter	8546929
70% Isopropanol (Debubbler)	EMD Millipore	1.3704
D-PBS (Sheath fluid)	EMD Millipore	BSS-1006-B (1X)	No calcium or magnesium
INSPIRE Software	EMD Millipore		Version Mark II, September 2013
Ideas Application Software	EMD Millipore		Version 6.1, July 2014