Selective decrease in circulating V α24+V β11+ NKT cells during HIV type 1 infection

Hans J J Van der Vliet, B. Mary E Von Blomberg, Mette D. Hazenberg, Nobusuke Nishi, Sigrid A. Otto, Birgit H. Van Benthem, Maria Prins, Frans A. Claessen, Alfons J M Van den Eertwegh, Giuseppe Giaccone, Frank Miedema, Rik J. Scheper, Herbert M. Pinedo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

137 Scopus citations

Abstract

CD1d-restricted NKT cells express an invariant TCR and have been demonstrated to play an important regulatory role in a variety of immune responses. Invariant NKT cells down-regulate autoimmune responses by production of type 2 cytokines and can initiate antitumor and antimicrobial immune responses by production of type 1 cytokines. Although defects in the (invariant) V α24+V β11+ NKT cell population have been observed in patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, little is known regarding the protective role of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells in human infectious disease. In a cross-sectional study in HIV-1-infected individuals, we found circulating numbers of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells to be reduced, independent of CD4+ T cell counts, CD4:CD8 ratios, and viral load. Because a small minority of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells of healthy donors expressed HIV-1 (co)receptors and the vast majority of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells in HIV-1-infected individuals expressed the Fas receptor, the depletion was more likely due to Fas-mediated apoptosis than to preferential infection of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells by HIV-1. A longitudinal cohort study, in which patients were analyzed before seroconversion and 1 and 5 years after seroconversion, demonstrated that a large proportion of the depletion occurred within the first year postseroconversion. In this longitudinal study no evidence was found to support an important role of V α24+V β11+ NKT cells in determining the rate of progression during HIV-1 infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1490-1495
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume168
Issue number3
StatePublished - Feb 1 2002
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology

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