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Recent evidence suggests that natural killer (NK) cells are typically defective in infiltrating solid tumors, with the exception of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Interestingly, however, infrequently infiltrating NK cells do not appear to have a direct effect on tumor progression. Here, prompted by the recent evidence that NK cell and T cell crosstalk may trigger, or enhance, tumor antigen-specific immune responses, we have tested the clinical significance of this reciprocal signaling. To this end, a tissue microarray constructed with 1410 colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patient specimens was stained with NK and T cell antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies, utilizing the immunoperoxidase staining technique. Cut-off scores for positive (>4 NK cells) and negative (≤4 NK cells) NK cell CRC patient samples were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Using this approach, NK cells were detected …