NK Cell Activity Test

Your health guardian is your immune system
What are NK cells?
She's Heal Clinic
NK Cell Activity Test
She's Heal Clinic
Interpretation of NK cell activity tests
She's Heal Clinic

What are NK cells?

NK cells are called "natural killer cells" because they directly attack and kill abnormal cells, such as cancer cells or cells infected with viruses.

Virally infected cells or cancer cells, unlike normal cells, show a reduction in certain proteins on their cell surface. When NK cells traveling through the blood find these cells, they dissolve their membranes and inject proteolytic enzymes to destroy them.

We develop about 5,000 cancer cells every day, and despite NK cells attacking and killing cancer cells, cancer develops because there are differences in the number and activity of NK cells between people.

Cancer patients have significantly lower NK cell activity than healthy people, which reduces their ability to kill cancer cells, which is why it's important to test for NK cell activity to stay proactive and manage your immune system.

NK cell activity has a greater impact on immunity than their number

Research on the immune function of NK cells began in the 1980s, focusing on the number of NK cells. However, in recent years, contrary to early studies, the activity of NK cells has been proven to have a greater impact on immunity, and research on the relationship between NK cell activity and various diseases has been ongoing.

Low NK cell activity

NK cells low activity - unable to attack cancer cells

High NK cell activity

Highly active NK cells - actively attack cancer cells

Your body's immune cells

Your body has a strong defense system to protect itself, called immunity. When your immune system is weak, your body doesn't fight off inflammation as well, you get more frequent colds and other nagging illnesses, and you're more likely to develop serious diseases like cancer.

While it's important to eat healthy, exercise, and manage stress on a daily basis, it's also important to proactively monitor your immune system by periodically testing your NK cell activity. Here are some of the key immune cell types and roles you should know.

NK cells

Cells responsible for innate immunity, attacking viral infections or cancer cells.

T-cells

Cells involved in cellular immunity and regulating immune function.

B-cells

Cells that are responsible for humoral immunity and produce antibodies against specific antigens.

Macrophages

Cells that engulf foreign, damaged, and dead cells and elicit an immune response.

Benefits of NK cell activity testing

The NK cell activity test is a blood draw to determine the number of NK cells in the blood and a numerical representation of the amount of interferon-gamma released after artificially activating the NK cells. This can be used to measure the body's resistance to cancer or other diseases.

  • 1

    Quantify your immunity - A simple way to see your immunity in numbers.

  • 2

    Quick tests - it doesn't take long to get results.

  • 3

    Smaller amounts of blood - less blood draws.

  • 4

    No fasting - You are welcome to come with a meal.

Who needs an NK cell activity test

A normal level of NK cell activity is 500 or higher, and cancer screening is recommended for NK cell activity below 100, which is significantly lower.

  • 1

    Have a history or family history of cancer

  • 2

    People who are susceptible to infectious diseases

  • 3

    Have an adult medical condition, such as diabetes or obesity

  • 4

    Chronic fatigue or excessive stress

  • 5

    You smoke or drink excessively

Check your body's immunity with the NK cell activity test!

Interpretation of NK cell activity tests

The NK cell activity test is not intended to diagnose cancer, but rather to assess the activity of NK cells, or immune function.

  • High activity: High activity of NK cells can be interpreted as a sign that the immune system is working well.
  • Low activity: If your activity is low, you are immunocompromised, which means you are vulnerable to infection or possibly have a disease.

If your NK cell activity is significantly lower than normal, you should consult a specialist for in-depth consultation. Even if your tests show that you do not have a serious illness, if your activity level is consistently low, your anti-cancer immune function is significantly lower than the general population.

Therefore, it is recommended that you consult with a healthcare professional to find out the cause and monitor your levels regularly while doing immune-boosting activities.

NK Cell Activity Test

Normal interval (500 and above)

  • Meaning: NK cell activity is at a normal level, indicating ideal immune function.
  • Recommendation: Testing once a year is recommended to maintain immunity.

Interval of interest (less than 250 to 500)

  • Meaning: A normal range that is not directly related to the development of a disease, but the immune system is compromised.
  • Recommendation: Regular testing every 3-6 months to boost immunity.

Borderline (less than 100-250)

  • What it means: Activity is lower than normal, which could be a precursor to disease or a temporary drop in immune cell function due to stress.
  • Recommendation: We recommend retesting in 2-4 weeks when you are not experiencing stress, sleep disturbances, or other factors that could affect your activity test.

Outliers (less than 100)

  • Meaning: NK cells have very low activity, which may indicate a disease.
  • Recommendation: We recommend retesting in 2-4 weeks when you are not experiencing stress, sleep disturbances, or other factors that may affect your activity test. If you have persistently low activity, you may want to consult a healthcare professional as it is often associated with serious conditions such as cancer.

Depending on your personal health, it's recommended that you get tested about once a year, or more often if you're immunocompromised or have certain medical conditions.

It's important to talk to your healthcare provider about a full diagnosis because low activity levels may mean you're less able to resist infection or effectively clear cancer cells.