Background: There is limited knowledge on the origin and development from CD34+ precursors of the ample spectrum of human natural killer (NK) cells, particularly of specialized NK subsets.
Objective: This study sought to characterize the NK-cell progeny of CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ and of other precursors circulating in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic viral infections (eg, HIV, hepatitis C virus, cytomegalovirus reactivation).
Methods: Highly purified precursors were obtained by flow cytometric sorting and cultured in standard NK-cell differentiation media (ie, SCF, FLT3, IL-7, IL-15). Phenotypic and functional analyses on progenies were performed by multiparametric cytofluorimetric assays. Transcriptional signatures of NK-cell progenies were studied by microarray analysis. Inhibition of cytomegalovirus replication was studied by PCR.
Results: Unlike conventional CD34+ precursors, Lin-CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ precursors from patients with chronic infection, rapidly differentiate into cytotoxic, IFN-γ-secreting CD94/NKG2C+KIR+CD57+ NK-cell progenies. An additional novel subset of common lymphocyte precursors was identified among Lin-CD34-CD56-CD16+ cells and characterized by expression of CXCR4 and lack of perforin and CD94. Lin-CD34-CD56-CD16+Perf-CD94-CXCR4+ precursors are also endowed with generation potential toward memory-like NKG2C+NK cells. Maturing NK-cell progenies mediated strong human cytomegalovirus-inhibiting activity. Microarray analysis confirmed a transcriptional signature compatible with NK-cell progenies and with maturing adaptive NK cells.
Conclusions: During viral infections, precursors of adaptive NK cells are released and circulate in the peripheral blood.
Keywords: HCMV; HCV; HIV; Lin(−)CD34(+)DNAM-1(bright); NKG2C; Natural killer cells; common lymphocyte precursors; hematopoietic stem cells; viral infection.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.