Excitatory pattern of gamma-interferon on natural killer cell activity in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type

Spontaneous natural killer (NK) cell activity and NK-induced cytotoxicity after interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured in healthy elderly subjects and in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID). Normal basal and IFN-γ-stimulated NK cytotoxicity were found in healthy old subjects and in patients with MID. On the contrary higher NK cytotoxicity after IFN-γ (650 IU) was demonstrated in SDAT patients than in MID and healthy subjects (p