Characterization of Natural Killer Cell Profile in a Cohort of Infected Pregnant Women and Their Babies and Its Relation to CMV Transmission

Bibliographic Details
Title: Characterization of Natural Killer Cell Profile in a Cohort of Infected Pregnant Women and Their Babies and Its Relation to CMV Transmission
Authors: Chiara Pighi, Arianna Rotili, Maia De Luca, Sara Chiurchiù, Francesca Ippolita Calò Carducci, Chiara Rossetti, Loredana Cifaldi, Roberto Bei, Leonardo Caforio, Stefania Bernardi, Paolo Palma, Donato Amodio
Source: Viruses, Vol 16, Iss 5, p 780 (2024)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Microbiology
Subject Terms: NK cells, mother-to-child CMV transmission, congenital CMV infection, predictive biomarkers, Microbiology, QR1-502
More Details: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common herpesvirus causing lifelong latent infection in most people and is a primary cause of congenital infection worldwide. Given the role of NK cells in the materno-fetal barrier, we investigated peripheral blood NK cell behavior in the context of CMV infection acquired during pregnancy. We analyzed the NK phenotype and CD107a surface mobilization on PBMCs from CMV-transmitting and non-transmitting mothers and newborns with or without congenital infection. NK cells from non-transmitting mothers showed the typical phenotype of CMV-adaptive NK cells, characterized by higher levels of NKG2C, CD57, and KIRs, with reduced NKG2A, compared to transmitting ones. A significantly higher percentage of DNAM-1+, PD-1+, and KIR+NKG2A-CD57+PD-1+ CD56dim cells was found in the non-transmitting group. Accordingly, NK cells from congenital-CMV (cCMV)-infected newborns expressed higher levels of NKG2C and CD57, with reduced NKG2A, compared to non-congenital ones. Furthermore, they showed a significant expansion of CD56dim cells co-expressing NKG2C and CD57 or with a memory-like (KIR+NKG2A-CD57+NKG2C+) phenotype, as well as a significant reduction of the CD57-NKG2C- population. Degranulation assays showed a slightly higher CD107a geomean ratio in NK cells of mothers who were non-transmitting compared to those transmitting the virus. Our findings demonstrate that both CMV-transmitting mothers and cCMV newborns show a specific NK profile. These data can guide studies on predicting virus transmission from mothers and congenital infection in infants.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1999-4915
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/5/780; https://doaj.org/toc/1999-4915
DOI: 10.3390/v16050780
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/d5522cc3bfd44bee993ef0c312c97f62
Accession Number: edsdoj.5522cc3bfd44bee993ef0c312c97f62
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:19994915
DOI:10.3390/v16050780
Published in:Viruses
Language:English