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Journal of Virology, October 2005, p. 12365-12374, Vol. 79, No. 19
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.19.12365-12374.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Shared Alterations in NK Cell Frequency, Phenotype, and Function in Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infections

Ute-Christiane Meier,1 Rachel E. Owen,1 Elizabeth Taylor,1 Andrew Worth,1 Nikolai Naoumov,2 Christian Willberg,3 Kwok Tang,2 Phillipa Newton,4 Pierre Pellegrino,4 Ian Williams,4 Paul Klenerman,3 and Persephone Borrow1*

Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 7NN, United Kingdom,1 Institute of Hepatology, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom,2 Nuffield Department of Medicine, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom,3 Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Royal Free and University College Medical School and Camden Primary Care Trust, Mortimer Market, London 10WC 6AU, United Kingdom4

Received 13 April 2005/ Accepted 11 July 2005

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause clinically important persistent infections. The effects of virus persistence on innate immunity, including NK cell responses, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We examined the frequency, phenotype, and function of peripheral blood CD3– CD56+ NK subsets in HIV+ and HCV+ patients and identified significantly reduced numbers of total NK cells and a striking shift in NK subsets, with a marked decrease in the CD56dim cell fraction compared to CD56bright cells, in both infections. This shift influenced the phenotype and functional capacity (gamma interferon production, killing) of the total NK pool. In addition, abnormalities in the functional capacity of the CD56dim NK subset were observed in HIV+ patients. The shared NK alterations were found to be associated with a significant reduction in serum levels of the innate cytokine interleukin 15 (IL-15). In vitro stimulation with IL-15 rescued NK cells of HIV+ and HCV+ patients from apoptosis and enhanced proliferation and functional activity. We hypothesize that the reduced levels of IL-15 present in the serum during HIV and HCV infections might impact NK cell homeostasis, contributing to the common alterations of the NK pool observed in these unrelated infections.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research, Compton, Newbury, Berks RG20 7NN, United Kingdom. Phone: (44) 1635-577913. Fax: (44) 1635-577901. E-mail: persephone.borrow{at}jenner.ac.uk.

Journal of Virology, October 2005, p. 12365-12374, Vol. 79, No. 19
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.19.12365-12374.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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