Genetic and Molecular Basis of Heterogeneous NK Cell Responses against Acute Leukemia

• Published in: Cancers Vol. 12; no. 7; p. 1927
• Main Authors: Makanga, Dhon Roméo, Da Rin de Lorenzo, Francesca, David, Gaëlle, Willem, Catherine, Dubreuil, Léa, Legrand, Nolwenn, Guillaume, Thierry, Peterlin, Pierre, Lebourgeois, Amandine, Béné, Marie Christine, Garnier, Alice, Chevallier, Patrice, Gendzekhadze, Ketevan, Cesbron, Anne, Gagne, Katia, Clemenceau, Béatrice, Retière, Christelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: acute leukemia; Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Acute myeloid leukemia; Blood & organ donations; Blood donors; Cancer; CD57 antigen; CMV; Cytomegalovirus; Cytotoxicity; Hematopoietic stem cells; Histocompatibility antigen HLA; HLA; Immunogenetics; Immunotherapy; Investigations; Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors; KIR; Leukemia; Life Sciences; Ligands; Lymphatic leukemia; Myeloid leukemia; Natural killer cells; NKG2 antigen; repertoire; Stem cells; Structure-function relationships; natural killer cells; repertoire; HLA; KIR; CMV; acute leukemia
• ISSN: 2072-6694; 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071927

Natural killer (NK) cells are key cytotoxic effectors against malignant cells. Polygenic and polymorphic Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) and HLA genes participate in the structural and functional formation of the NK cell repertoire. In this study, we extensively investigated the anti-leukemic potential of NK cell subsets, taking into account these genetic parameters and cytomegalovirus (CMV) status. Hierarchical clustering analysis of NK cell subsets based on NKG2A, KIR, CD57 and NKG2C markers from 68 blood donors identified donor clusters characterized by a specific phenotypic NK cell repertoire linked to a particular immunogenetic KIR and HLA profile and CMV status. On the functional side, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was better recognized by NK cells than acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, a broad inter-individual disparity of NK cell responses exists against the same leukemic target, highlighting bad and good NK responders. The most effective NK cell subsets against different ALLs expressed NKG2A and represented the most frequent subset in the NK cell repertoire. In contrast, minority CD57+ or/and KIR+ NK cell subsets were more efficient against AML. Overall, our data may help to optimize the selection of hematopoietic stem cell donors on the basis of immunogenetic KIR/HLA for ALL patients and identify the best NK cell candidates in immunotherapy for AML.