Natural killer cell dysfunction in HIV-exposed uninfected infants correlates with acquisition of lower respiratory tract infection

Autor: Christiana E Smith, Emilie Jalbert, Volia de Almeida, Marisa Mussi-Pinhata, Rachel A. Cohen, Qilu Yu, Fabiana Amaral, Jorge Pinto, Jorge Alarcon, George Siberry, Adriana Weinberg
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: The Journal of Immunology. 196:61.12-61.12
ISSN: 1550-6606
0022-1767
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.196.supp.61.12
Popis: Background HIV-exposed uninfected infants (HEU) have higher rates of severe and fatal lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) than HIV-unexposed infants (HUU), but their antibody responses to vaccines and infections do not differ. We hypothesized that natural killer cells (NK) are impaired in HEU and may predispose them to severe LRTI. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Brazilian HEU and HUU were cryopreserved at birth and 6 months. NK phenotype and function assessed by flow cytometry after overnight incubation with and without K562 cells were compared among HEU who developed LRTI in the first 6 months of life (LRTI+), HEU who did not (LRTI−) and HUU, using Mann Whitney tests. Results The proportion of NK among PBMC was lower in 13 HEU vs. 22 HUU at birth (1.7% vs. 10.3%, p Conclusion NK numbers and function are impaired in HEU. Poor NK function at birth is associated with acquisition of LRTI in the first 6 months of life and may predict infectious complications in HEU.
Databáze: OpenAIRE