NCR1 and malignant mesothelioma: It was therefore interesting to discover that peripheral blood NK cells in mesothelioma patients showed a characteristic decrease in cell surface NKp46 with low cytotoxicity, similar to that of NK cells in the culture with asbestos, suggesting the possibility that impairment of NK cell function might be caused by inhaled asbestos and may be related to the pathology of malignant mesothelioma.