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An evaluation of the role of NKG2C + natural killer cells in protection from cytomegalovirus DNAemia early following allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Author(s) -
MuñozCobo Beatriz,
Giménez Estela,
Solano Carlos,
de la Cámara Rafael,
Nieto José,
López Javier,
Amat Paula,
GarciaNoblejas Ana,
Navarro David
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.23742
Subject(s) - cd16 , cytomegalovirus , transplantation , immunology , virology , human cytomegalovirus , flow cytometry , cd8 , natural killer cell , stem cell , betaherpesvirinae , medicine , biology , cytotoxic t cell , virus , viral disease , herpesviridae , immune system , cd3 , biochemistry , in vitro , genetics
Abstract The role of natural killer (NK) cells in affording protection against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients is largely unknown. The current study was aimed at determining whether NKG2C + NK cells confer protection from CMV DNAemia early following transplantation in patients lacking mono and polyfunctional CMV pp65 and IE‐1‐specific CD4 + and CD8 + T‐cell responses, as measured by flow cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining. Fourteen out of the 36 patients included in this study developed CMV DNAemia between days +30 and +60 after transplant. Three patients did so after day +60. Peripheral blood levels of CD56 bright CD16 −/low and CD56 dim CD16 + NKG2C + NK cells measured at day +30 and at day +60 in patients who had or had not subsequent CMV DNAemia did not differ significantly. In addition, no significant correlation was found between CD56 bright CD16 −/low (σ = −0.229; P = 0.39) and CD56 dim CD16 + (σ = −0.285; P = 0.28) NKG2C + NK‐cell levels and initial plasma CMV DNA loads. In summary, the data presented do not support a direct implication of NKG2C + NK cells in preventing the development of CMV DNAemia or modulating the magnitude of CMV replication at early stages during episodes of CMV DNAemia in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients with unreconstituted CMV‐specific T‐cell responses. J. Med. Virol. 86:806–811, 2014 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.