HSV-1-infected oral epithelial cells are targets for natural killer cells.
A mechanism of cell-mediated immunity was investigated to determine whether natural killer (NK) cells were able to lyse antigenically-altered epithelial cell targets. Using standard four-hour chromium-release assays, we tested human peripheral blood lymphocytes against autologous untreated epithelial cells and autologous HSV-1-infected epithelial cells and calculated the percentage of lysis. With adherent cell-depleted peripheral blood, only epithelial cells infected with virus were lysed (p = 0.009). Evidence that NK cells were responsible for the lysis exists because: (1) peripheral blood lymphocytes were able to lyse allogeneic as well as autologous virus-infected cells; (2) when NK cells were depleted with the lysosomotropic drug L-leucine methyl ester, cytotoxicity against infected targets was abrogated; and (3) depletion of NK cells by the monoclonal antibody Leu-11b, plus complement, also eliminated cytotoxicity against virus-infected targets. Additional evidence suggests that lysis of targets does not involve antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These findings indicate that NK cells have the potential to perform a similar in vivo immunologic role in the oral cavity and initiate cell-mediated lysis of virus-infected epithelial cells.
D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D007376:Interleukin-2