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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Preparation and Use of HIV-1 Infected Primary CD4+ T-Cells as Target Cells in Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Assays
Published on: March 14, 2011
Natural Killer cells from long-term non-progressor HIV patients are characterized by altered phenotype and function
Geraldine M O'Connor1, Andrea Holmes, Fiona Mulcahy
1School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Abstract:
Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the innate immune system important in the control of viral infections and recent evidence suggests that they may play a role in the pathogenesis of HIV. Long-term non-progressor (LTNP) HIV patients who control replication of the virus and show a delayed disease progression have naturally occurring successful immune responses to HIV. We investigated a role for NK cells in these patients. In agreement with previous reports, NK cell cytotoxic activity was decreased in viremic HIV patients relative to healthy individuals (p<0.05). Viremic HIV patients showed an altered cell surface phenotype, including a reduction in natural cytotoxicity receptor expression and an increase in leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B member 1 (LILRB1) expression. These phenotypic changes were also present in LTNP patients; however, these patients showed increased levels of NK cell activity relative to viremic HIV patient group.
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