Pretransplant adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells protect against cytomegalovirus infection in kidney transplant recipients

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection constitutes a complication for kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and CMV-specific T cells reduce the risk of viral replication in seropositive patients. CMV promotes the adaptive differentiation and expansion of an NK cell subset, hallmarked by expression of the CD94...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ataya Fernández, Michelle, 1993-, Redondo Pachón, María Dolores, Llinàs-Mallol, Laura, Yélamos López, José, Heredia, Gemma, Pérez-Sáez, María José, Vila, Joan, Costa García, Marcel, 1989-, Raïch-Regué, Dàlia, Vilches, Carlos, Pascual, Julio (Pascual Santos), Crespo Barrio, Marta, López-Botet, M. (Miguel)
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2019
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/44270
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/44270
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajt.15658
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Basic (laboratory) research/science
Clinical research/practice
Immunobiology
Infection and infectious agents - viral: cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Infectious disease
Kidney transplantation/nephrology
Natural killer (NK) cells/NK receptors
Description
Summary:Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection constitutes a complication for kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and CMV-specific T cells reduce the risk of viral replication in seropositive patients. CMV promotes the adaptive differentiation and expansion of an NK cell subset, hallmarked by expression of the CD94/NKG2C receptor with additional characteristic features. We previously reported an association of pretransplant NKG2C+ NK cells with a reduced incidence of CMV infection. We have strengthened the analysis in cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells from an enlarged KTR cohort (n = 145) with homogeneous immunosuppression, excluding cases at low risk of infection (ie, CMV D-R-) or receiving antiviral prophylaxis. Moreover, adaptive NKG2C+ NK cell-associated markers (ie, NKG2A, CD57, Immunoglobulin-like transcript 2 [LIR1 or LILRB1], FcεRI γ chain, and Prolymphocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger transcription factor) as well as T lymphocyte subsets were assessed by multicolor flow cytometry. The relation of NKG2C+ NK cells with T cells specific for CMV antigens was analyzed in pretransplant patients (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 28). Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses supported that NKG2C+ NK cells bearing adaptive markers were specifically associated with a reduced incidence of posttransplant symptomatic CMV infection; no correlation between NKG2C+ NK cells and CMV-specific T cells was observed. These results support that adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells contribute to control CMV infection in KTR.