Wim Jennes, Sonja Verheyden, Julie W. Mertens, Makhtar Camara, Moussa Seydi, Tandakha N. Dieye, Souleymane Mboup, Christian Demanet, Luc Kestens
Inhibitory KIR/HLA incompatibility between sexual partners confers protection
against HIV-1 transmission
Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp
University Hospital Brussels
Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar
Autoresponse: Natural killer cells kill founder HIV-1 infected CD4+ T-cells
Alloresponse: Natural killer cells kill partner HIV-1 infected CD4+ T-cells
How can NK cells protect against HIV-1 infection?
KIR/HLA typing in HIV-1 transmitting and non-transmitting married couples from Dakar, Senegal
Autoresponse
NK cell protection due to activating KIR and missing ligand combinations
Alloresponse
KIR/HLA mismatched stem cell transplants cure leukemia
Velardi et al, Curr Opin Immunol 2008; Moretta et al, Immunology Reviews 2008
KIR/HLA typing in HIV-1 transmitting and non-transmitting married couples from Dakar, Senegal
Autoresponse
NK cell protection due to activating KIR and missing ligand combinations
NK cell protection due to missing self alloreactive KIR/HLA combinations
Alloresponse
Summary and implications
Summaryo Lack of HIV-1 transmission in African couples is associated with
- NK cell activating KIR/HLA genotypes in the recipient partner- KIR/HLA missing self combinations between partners
o KIR/HLA missing self combinations correlate with alloreactive NK cell killing of HIV-1 patient-derived CD4+ T cells in vitro
Implicationso NK cells could be important in protection against HIV-1 infection
and may be suitable targets for future preventive therapies
o KIR/HLA mismatched stem cell transplants: revolution in leukemiaCan KIR/HLA mismatches be exploited in HIV prevention and cure?