Defective natural killer cell anti-viral capacity in paediatric HBV infection. (16th February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Heiberg, I L; Pallett, L J; Winther, T N; Høgh, B; Maini, M K; Peppa, D
• Is Part Of: Clinical and experimental immunology. Volume 179:Number 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 466
• Page End: 476
• Publication Date: 2015-02-16
• Subjects: NK cells -- anti-viral function -- paediatric HBV infection -- IFN-γ -- NKp30; Immunopathology -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1111/cei.12470
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-9104

Abstract

Summary: 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.