S100A14 Is Increased in Activated NK Cells and Plasma of HIV-Exposed Seronegative People Who Inject Drugs and Promotes Monocyte-NK Crosstalk.

BACKGROUND

HIV-exposed seronegative people who inject drugs (HESN-PWID) have been shown to have increased natural killer (NK) cell and myeloid activation when compared with control donors.

METHODS

We investigated potential mechanisms maintaining NK activation by conducting quantitative proteome comparisons of NK cells from HESN-PWID subjects and control donors. Proteins upregulated in NK cells were measured in the plasma of HESN-PWID subjects by ELISA and further investigated for their ability to induce innate immune activation in vitro.

RESULTS

The NK cell proteome comparison showed markedly higher levels of interferon-stimulated proteins and S100 proteins, including S100A14. Consistent with these results, we observed significantly higher levels of S100A14 in the plasma of HESN-PWID subjects compared with controls (P = 0.033, n = 25). In vitro, the addition of recombinant S100A14 protein significantly activated NK cells in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell mixture (P = 0.011, n = 9), but not purified NK cells alone. Treatment of purified monocytes with recombinant S100A14 protein induced secretion of TNF-alpha and led to significantly higher NK CD69 activation (P = 0.0156, n = 7) in a co-culture through a TLR4-dependent interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified S100A14 as a novel protein increased within NK cells and plasma of HESN-PWID subjects with the capacity to sustain NK activation through TLR4-dependent activation of myeloid cells.