Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells exhibit dysregulated effector function in adult chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB), which may contribute to virus persistence. The role of NK cells in children infected perinatally with HBV is less studied. Access to a unique cohort enabled the cross-sectional evaluation of NK cell frequency, phenotype and function in HBV-infected children relative to uninfected children. We observed a selective defect in NK cell interferon (IFN)-γ production, with conserved cytolytic function, mirroring the functional dichotomy observed in adult infection. Reduced expression of NKp30 on NK cells suggests a role of impaired NK-dendritic cell (DC) cellular interactions as a potential mechanism leading to reduced IFN-γ production. The finding that NK cells are already defective in paediatric CHB, albeit less extensively than in adult CHB, has potential implications for the timing of anti-viral therapy aiming to restore immune control.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Clinical and Experimental Immunology |
| Volume | 179 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 466-76 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISSN | 0009-9104 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2015 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Antigens, Viral/immunology
- Cell Communication
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Cohort Studies
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Dendritic Cells/immunology
- Down-Regulation
- Female
- Hepatitis B/immunology
- Hepatitis B virus/immunology
- Humans
- Interferon-gamma/metabolism
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Male
- Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3/genetics
