title: What is going on with natural killer cells in HIV infection?
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells represent 10-15% of circulating lymphocytes and are important mediators of both natural and adaptive immunity. They participate in immune surveillance against malignancies and virus infection and are involved in the complex immune responses of transplantation, autoimmune diseases and immunosuppression. They can also mediate physiological regulation of hematopoiesis, homeostasis of reproduction and placentation. In recent years new advances have been achieved in understanding the mechanisms whereby NK cells exert their cytotoxic and regulatory roles. Here, we review the physiology of NK cells with special attention to its role in HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. idines@biof.ufrj.br
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dines
authors.forename: Vivian M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Rumjanek
authors.forename: Pedro Muanis
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Persechini
mesh_terms: D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology