Natural killer cells

Looks like

Large lymphocytes with visible granules, circulating in the blood and patrolling the tissues.

What it does

Kill virus-infected and cancer cells without needing prior exposure.

Keeping it well

Rare inherited defects cause severe recurring viral infections, such as herpes that keeps coming back badly.

Related conditions

• Acute leukaemia (AML & ALL)
• African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
• Aplastic anaemia & marrow failure
• Chronic leukaemia (CML & CLL)
• Clotting disorders (thrombophilia & APS)
• Dehydration & electrolyte disorders
• Delirium
• Dengue & mosquito-borne fevers
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation
• Ebola virus disease
• G6PD deficiency (favism)
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Hereditary spherocytosis
• High cholesterol
• Lymphoma (Hodgkin & non-Hodgkin)
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Maternal (puerperal) sepsis
• MRSA and resistant staph infection
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Neonatal sepsis
• Neutropenic sepsis
• Postpartum haemorrhage
• Scrub typhus & rickettsial infections
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Toxic shock syndrome
• Typhoid & cholera
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Von Willebrand disease