Blockade of immunosuppressive cytokines restores NK cell antiviral function in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

ABSTRACT: NK cells are enriched in the liver, constituting around a third of intrahepatic lymphocytes. We have previously demonstrated that they upregulate the death ligand TRAIL in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB), allowing them to kill hepatocytes bearing TRAIL receptors. In this study we investigated whether, in addition to their pathogenic role, NK cells have antiviral potential in CHB. We characterised NK cell subsets and effector function in 64 patients with CHB compared to 31 healthy controls. We found that, in contrast to their upregulated TRAIL expression and maintenance of cytolytic function, NK cells had a markedly impaired capacity to produce IFN-γ in CHB. This functional dichotomy of NK cells could be recapitulated in vitro by exposure to the immunosuppressive cyt

SUBMITTER: Peppa D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3003000 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature