Natural killer cell immunodeficiency in HIV disease is manifest by profoundly decreased numbers of CD16+CD56+ cells and expansion of a population of CD16dimCD56- cells with low lytic activity.
Natural killer (NK) cells were enumerated by three-color immunofluorescence in 255 uninfected and 399 human immunodeficiency virus-infected adults. Several dramatic alterations were observed. First, the median number and percentage of CD16+CD56+ NK cells, the subset that comprises > 90% of the NK cells in healthy adults, were severely decreased (median, 175/mm3 in uninfected controls; 63/mm3 in HIV-infected non-AIDS subjects). Even subjects with > 800 CD4+ cells/mm3 had decreased CD16+CD56+ NK cell levels (97/mm3). Second, the number of CD16+CD56- cells, an NK population that is rare in healthy adults, was elevated (median, 20/mm3 in uninfected controls; 64/mm3 in HIV-seropositive non-AIDS subjects). Third, the expression of CD16 on the NK cells was markedly reduced; some CD56+ cells and virtually all CD56- cells were CD16dim. Fourth, fluorescence-activated cell-sorting studies revealed little NK- or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity in the CD16dimCD56- cell population. These results indicate that the pathogenesis of HIV disease includes numerical alterations in subpopulations of NK cells. A better understanding of how HIV infection causes this aspect of pathogenesis is needed.
Hu
P F
PF
Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine 90095-1745, USA.
Hultin
L E
LE
Hultin
P
P
Hausner
M A
MA
Hirji
K
K
Jewett
A
A
Bonavida
B
B
Detels
R
R
Giorgi
J V
JV
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000276:immunology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000276:immunology*; D012044:Regression Analysis
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D017452:Receptors, IgG