Natural killer (NK) cells prevent virus production in cell culture

• Published in: Bone marrow transplantation (Basingstoke) Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 179 - 189
• Main Authors: BARAZ, L, KHAZANOV, E, CONDIOTTI, R, KOTLER, M, NAGLER, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.07.1999
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antigens, Viral; Antiviral agents; Assaying; Autografts; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Bone marrow transplantation; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; CD16 antigen; CD3 antigen; CD56 antigen; Cell culture; Cells, Cultured; Chromium radioisotopes; Colon; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Herpes simplex; Herpes Simplex - immunology; Herpes simplex virus 1; Herpes viruses; Herpesvirus 1, Human - immunology; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Humans; Immune system; Infections; Iodides; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Lysis; Major histocompatibility complex; Medical sciences; Natural killer cells; Patients; Propidium iodide; Stem cell transplantation; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - virology; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Transplantation; Tumor cells; Vaccinia - immunology; Vaccinia virus; Vaccinia virus - immunology; Viral infections; Viruses; Stem cell; Alphaherpesvirinae; Hematopoietic cell; Homograft; Cytotoxicity; Established cell line; T-Lymphocyte; Bone marrow; Graft; Complication; Herpesvirus hominis; Class I histocompatibility antigen; Human; Chordopoxvirinae; Immune response; Herpesviridae; Orthopoxvirus; In vitro; Infection; Virus; Natural killer cell; Vaccinia virus; Immunosuppression; Poxviridae; Animal; Viral disease
• ISSN: 0268-3369; 1476-5365
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1701825

Natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-/CD16+/CD56+ lymphocytes) play an important role in early immune defense against viral infection, a fact which is of prime significance for heavily immunosuppressed patients after bone marrow transplantation. In this study we demonstrate that NK cells preferentially lyse human colon adenocarcinoma (Colo-205) tumor cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and vaccinia virus (VV) and autologous T cells infected with VV. This phenomenon was assessed by the viral infectious center (IC) method and compared with the results obtained by means of the standard 51Cr-release assay. Using the IC assay, we found that NK cells lyse virus infected cells at an early stage of infection, thereby preventing viral dissemination to neighboring cells. 51Cr-release assay verified by propidium iodide (PI) penetration showed that the early effects of NK mediated anti-viral activity are not the result of membrane damage. The effect of NK cells on HSV-1 infected Colo-205 cells appears to be independent of the level of expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules while the killing of autologous VV-infected T cells correlates with a reduction in MHC class I expression. Our results suggest that additional factors besides MHC play a role in the regulation of NK cell-mediated lysis of virus infected cells. This may be of clinical importance in patients who are heavily immunosuppressed after bone marrow transplantation.