title: Frequency and phenotype of human circulating and intrahepatic natural killer cell subsets is differentially regulated according to stage of chronic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Experimental liver injury models have indicated that natural killer (NK) cells are critical regulators of inflammation and fibrosis. However, data on NK cells and subsets in patients with liver diseases are limited. We thus comprehensively characterized peripheral and hepatic NK cell subsets in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) of different etiologies and fibrosis stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  NK cells and other lymphocyte populations were characterized by FACS in 189 CLD patients (71 non-cirrhosis, 118 cirrhosis) and 153 healthy controls in blood and liver biopsies (n = 40).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to other lymphocyte subsets, circulating NK cells were generally reduced in CLD patients. Patients with fibrosis displayed a distinct increase of CD16- NK cells in blood and of the CD16+ NK cell subset in liver. Patients with cirrhosis had overall lymphopenia, including reduced peripheral NK cells. Most pronounced shifts in NK cell subsets in blood and liver were found in cholestatic and autoimmune CLDs. Blood NK cells and subsets correlated with liver function, and inversely with fibrosis markers and inflammatory cytokines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The close association of human NK cells with disease severity and the intrahepatic accumulation of CD16+ NK cells in early fibrosis favor the concept of beneficial NK cell functions in hepatofibrogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Henning Wolfgang
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Jan Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seidler
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luedde
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trautwein
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tacke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines