Human Hepatitis B Virus Negatively Impacts the Protective Immune Crosstalk Between Natural Killer and Dendritic Cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in the clearance of human viruses but their activity is significantly impaired in patients infected with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Cooperation with dendritic cells (DCs) is pivotal for obtaining optimal NK cell antiviral function; thus, we investigated whether HBV might impact the ability of DCs to sustain NK cell functions.

Approach and results

Human DCs were poor stimulators of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by NK cells when exposed to HBV, while maintaining the capability to trigger NK cell cytotoxicity. HBV prevented DC maturation but did not affect their expression of human leukocyte antigen class I, thus allowing DCs to evade NK cell lysis. Tolerogenic features of DCs exposed to HBV were further su

SUBMITTER: De Pasquale C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8295401 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature