NKG2C and NKG2A coexpression defines a highly functional antiviral NK population in spontaneous HIV control.

ABSTRACT: Elite controllers (ECs), a unique group of people with HIV (PWH), exhibit remarkable control of viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. In this study, we comprehensively characterized the NK cell repertoire in ECs after long-term viral control. Phenotypic profiling of NK cells revealed profound differences compared with other PWH, but marked similarities to uninfected individuals, with a distinctive prevalence of NKG2C+CD57+ memory-like NK cells. Functional analyses indicated that ECs had limited production of functional molecules upon NK stimulation and consequently reduced natural cytotoxicity against non-HIV target cells. Importantly, ECs showed an exceptional ability to kill primary HIV-infected cells by the antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity adaptive mechanism, w

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Gaona N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11529982 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature