Natural killer cells act as rheostats modulating antiviral T cells.

ABSTRACT: Antiviral T cells are thought to regulate whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections result in viral control, asymptomatic persistence or severe disease, although the reasons for these different outcomes remain unclear. Recent genetic evidence, however, has indicated a correlation between certain natural killer (NK)-cell receptors and progression of both HIV and HCV infection, implying that NK cells have a role in these T-cell-associated diseases. Although direct NK-cell-mediated lysis of virus-infected cells may contribute to antiviral defence during some virus infections--especially murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infections in mice and perhaps HIV in humans--NK cells have also been suspected of having immunoregulatory functions. For instance, NK cell

SUBMITTER: Waggoner SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3539796 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature