Ann Lab Med.  2015 Jul;35(4):423-428. 10.3343/alm.2015.35.4.423.

Comparison of FcRgamma-Deficient and CD57+ Natural Killer Cells Between Cord Blood and Adult Blood in the Cytomegalovirus-Endemic Korean Population

• Baek HJ
• Kim DW
• Phan MT
• Kim JS
• Yang JH
• Choi JI
• Lee JJ
• Shin MG
• Ryang DW
• Kim SK
• Lee SH
• Kook H
• Cho D

• KMID: 2045865
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2015.35.4.423

Abstract

BACKGROUND
FcRgamma-deficient natural killer (NK) cells (g-NK cells) have been associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. However, the frequency of g-NK cells in a CMV-endemic area (i.e., Korea) has not yet been studied. We examined the frequency of g-NK cells and expression of CD57 on NK cells in cord blood (CB) and adult blood (AB).
METHODS
Of the 24 AB samples collected, 95.8% (23/24) were CMV IgG+/IgM-, while 100% of the 13 healthy CB samples were CMV IgG+/IgM-. We performed whole-blood flow cytometry assays to analyze intracellular FcRgamma and CD3zeta expression of CD3-/CD56dim NK cells from 13 CB and 24 AB samples, and surface CD57 expression on CD3-/CD56dim/CD16+ NK cells from 13 CB and 19 AB samples.
RESULTS
All CMV seropositive AB samples contained g-NK cells (23/23), and the median proportion of g-NK cells in the CD3-/CD56dim NK cell pool was 35.0% (range: 11-77%). CD57+ NK cells in the CD3-/CD56dim/CD16+ NK cell population were detected in all 19 AB samples tested, but not in any CB samples.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that g-NK cells and CD57+ NK cells are present at a very high frequency in CMV-seropositive AB, but rare in CMV-naive CB.

Keyword

Adult; Blood; Cord; Cytomegalovirus; Infection; FcRgamma; Natural killer cell

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Cytomegalovirus
Fetal Blood*
Flow Cytometry
Humans
Killer Cells, Natural*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Identification of FcRγ-deficient human NK cells (g-NK cells) and distribution of g-NK cells in cord blood (CB) and adult blood (AB). (A) Representative flow cytometry plots from one CB and one AB samples. CD3-/CD56dim NK cells in CB express both CD3ζ and FcRγ, whereas NK cells in AB express CD3ζ with low levels of FcRγ. (B) Diagram showing the proportion according to the percentage of g-NK cells among the CD3-/CD56dim NK cells in CB and AB. (C) Comparison of g-NK cells between CB (N=13) and AB (N=24). Horizontal bars represent medians. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare data between the groups.

• 

  Fig. 2 Distribution of CD57+ cells in cord blood (CB) and adult blood (AB). (A) CD45bright/SSClow/CD3-/CD56dim/CD16+ natural killer (NK) cells from CB (upper panels) and AB (lower panels) were gated and analyzed for CD57 expression. Two representative donors (one CB and one AB) are shown. (B) Comparison of CD57 expression in the CD3-/CD56dim/CD16+ NK cells from CB (N=13) and AB (N=19). Horizontal bars represent medians. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare data between the groups.Abbreviation: FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate.

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