The "ex vivo" patterns of CD2/CD7, CD57/CD11c, CD38/CD11b, CD45RA/CD45RO, and CD11a/HLA-DR expression identify acute/early and chronic/late NK-cell activation states

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2002

Authors

Lima, M (Author) Other; Almeida, J (Author) Other; Teixeira, MD (Author) Other; Queiros, ML (Author) Other; Justica, B (Author) Other; Orfao, A (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases

Vol. 28

Pages: 181-190

ISSN: 1079-9796

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 28 Citations

Scopus - 27 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-Q2M

DOI: 10.1006/bcmd.2002.0506

Abstract (EN): To define a dynamic sequence of phenotypic changes related to early and late phases of NK-cell activation, we have analyzed by four-color flow cytometry the immunophenotype of normal blood NK-cells from 12 healthy individuals and compared it with those from 15 patients with acute viral infections and 15 patients with either chronic infections or tumors. Although a great interindividual variability was found, nonstimulated CD56(+) NK-cells, present in normal blood samples, usually were CD2(-/+lo), CD7(+hi), HLA-DR-, CD11b(+), CD38(+), CD11a, CD45RA(+hi) and CD45RO(-), the expression of CD11c and CD57 being heterogeneous and variable. Recently activated NK-cells, herein corresponding to NK-cells from patients with acute viral infections, displayed a pattern of expression of CD2/CD7 similar to that referred to above, but they typically showed higher levels of CD11a, CD38, and HLA-DR, as well as downregulation of CD11b and CD45RA, accompanied in some cases by coexpression of CD45RO; in addition, these NK-cells were CD11c(+) and CD57(-/+lo). Late-activated NK-cells, represented by NK-cells present in patients with chronic infections and tumors, converted into a CD2(+hi)/CD7(-/+lo) immunophenotype and expressed heterogeneously low levels of CD38 and CD11b; moreover, they were CD57(+) and CD11c(-/+). At this stage, most NK-cells had already reverted into their original CD45RA(+)/CD45RO(-)/HLA-DR- phenotype. In summary, we show that the patterns of expression of CD2/CD7, CD57/CD11c, CD38/CD11b, CD45RA/CD45RO, and CD11a/HLA-DR may help us to define the immunophenotypic profiles associated with early and late NK-cell activation phases in "in vivo" models. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10