Zhang Ruijun, Xu Jianqing, Hong Kunxue, Yuan Lin, Peng Hong, Tang Haili, Ma Pengfei, Zhang Yuanzhi, Xing Hui, Ruan Yuhua, Shao Yiming
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China.
AIDS. 2007 Dec;21 Suppl 8:S9-17. doi: 10.1097/01.aids.0000304691.32014.19.
To investigate the expression of NKG2A on cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells in HIV-1-infected patients.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the NKG2A expression on NK cell subsets among HIV-infected individuals at different clinical stages and HIV negative controls.
113 HIV-1 infected and 43 uninfected individuals were enrolled in this study. The HIV-1 infected patients were further categorized into three groups, CD4 cell count > 500 cells/microl (n = 44), CD4 cell count of 200-500 cells/microl (n = 49) and CD4 cell count < 200 cells/microl (n = 20). Flow cytometry was used to determine the expression of NKG2A on NK cell subsets. A flow-based assay was employed to quantify the NK cytotoxicity.
Fewer cytotoxic NK cells and more dysfunctional NK cells were observed in patients with advanced clinical conditions. Higher NKG2A expression level in cytotoxic NK subset were found in later stages HIV infection, 25.6% in groups with CD4 cell count > 500 cells/microl, 40.9% in groups with CD4 cell count 200-500 cells/microl and 48.3% in groups with CD4 cell count < 200 cells/microl. Lower NK mediated cytotoxicity, which was associated with the decrease in cytotoxic NK cell number and higher NKG2A expression on cytotoxic NK subsets, was found in AIDS patients compared with patients at early stage of infection. A reverse association between the percentage of NKG2A positive cells in cytotoxic NK subset and CD4 cell count was observed in all HIV-1 infected groups.
Fewer cytotoxic NK cells and higher NKG2A expression in cytotoxic NK subset was found in patients in late stage HIV infection. Such a phenomenon may relate to the escape of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells from being attacked by NK cells.
研究NKG2A在HIV-1感染患者细胞毒性自然杀伤（NK）细胞上的表达情况。
进行一项横断面研究，以调查不同临床阶段的HIV感染个体及HIV阴性对照者NK细胞亚群上NKG2A的表达。
本研究纳入了113例HIV-1感染者和43例未感染者。将HIV-1感染患者进一步分为三组，CD4细胞计数>500个/微升（n = 44），CD4细胞计数为200 - 500个/微升（n = 49）和CD4细胞计数<200个/微升（n = 20）。采用流式细胞术确定NK细胞亚群上NKG2A的表达。采用基于流式细胞术的检测方法定量NK细胞毒性。
在临床病情较重的患者中观察到细胞毒性NK细胞较少，功能失调的NK细胞较多。在HIV感染后期，细胞毒性NK亚群中NKG2A表达水平较高，CD4细胞计数>500个/微升的组中为25.6%，CD4细胞计数200 - 500个/微升的组中为40.9%，CD4细胞计数<200个/微升的组中为48.3%。与感染早期患者相比，艾滋病患者中NK介导的细胞毒性较低，这与细胞毒性NK细胞数量减少以及细胞毒性NK亚群上NKG2A表达较高有关。在所有HIV-1感染组中，均观察到细胞毒性NK亚群中NKG2A阳性细胞百分比与CD4细胞计数呈负相关。
在HIV感染晚期患者中，细胞毒性NK细胞较少，细胞毒性NK亚群中NKG2A表达较高。这种现象可能与HIV-1感染的CD4 + T细胞逃避NK细胞攻击有关。
