Table 5 Association between the percentage of surface receptors and cytotoxic granules positive NK cells and the clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer

Histological grade

Well/Moderately

20

89.0 ± 3.7

< 0.01 ^U

39.5 ± 19.3

ns ^T

56.0 ± 25.8

ns ^T

83.9 ± 11.6

< 0.05 ^U

20.1 ± 15.9

ns ^U

Poorly

12

77.9 ± 13.3

47.8 ± 19.2

53.6 ± 21.8

63.5 ± 22.8

18.6 ± 6.6

Depth of invasion ^*

Tis/T1/T2/T3

7

88.9 ± 4.3

ns ^U

57.0 ± 12.4

< 0.05 ^T

71.4 ± 19.5

< 0.05 ^T

87.7 ± 13.0

< 0.05 ^U

20.7 ± 11.1

ns ^U

T4

25

83.7 ± 10.9

38.6 ± 19.2

50.5 ± 23.5

73.1 ± 19.6

19.2 ± 13.8

Lymph node metastasis

Absent

18

89.3 ± 4.2

< 0.01 ^U

39.3 ± 20.2

ns ^U

63.8 ± 24.8

< 0.05 ^U

86.2 ± 8.8

< 0.01 ^U

21.2 ± 16.8

ns ^U

Present

14

79.1 ± 12.4

46.9 ± 18.1

43.8 ± 18.1

63.5 ± 21.5

17.4 ± 5.5

Blood vessel invasion

Absent

25

86.5 ± 7.8

ns ^U

42.0 ± 20.1

ns ^U

53.9 ± 24.1

ns ^U

77.8 ± 18.2

ns ^U

19.0 ± 14.5

ns ^U

Present

7

78.9 ± 15.0

44.6 ± 17.9

59.1 ± 25.2

70.7 ± 23.0

21.4 ± 6.3

Nerve invasion

Absent

27

84.0 ± 11.7

ns ^U

40.9 ± 18.6

ns ^T

55.7 ± 23.3

ns ^U

75.8 ± 19.7

ns ^U

20.8 ± 13.7

ns ^U

Present

5

84.7 ± 3.1

51.8 ± 23.1

51.4 ± 30.4

78.8 ± 17.8

12.7 ± 6.5