Search
Close
Search
Advanced Search
Search Menu
AI Discovery Assistant

Extract

To the Editor—In their letter, Mela and Goodier [1] report a study similar to ours [2] that used the same flow-cytometric analysis to compare the proportions of NKG2C+ and NKG2A+ cells in HIV-1–positive patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy and in healthy control subjects. They broadly agree with our conclusion that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection appears to be the major factor determining an increase in the numbers of CD94/NKG2C+ NK cells in HIV-1–positive and –negative individuals

A difference between the 2 studies was the greater proportions of NKG2C+ cells in our HIV-1–negative control subjects. As a consequence, the relative increase in the proportions of NKG2C+ in HIV-1–positive individuals, compared with those in HIV-1–negative subjects, was higher in the London study. The interpretation that this may reflect the known geographical variation in exposure to HCMV is plausible; in addition, differences in age distribution between cohorts might be relevant. Irrespective of this minor discrepancy, the results of both studies support the idea that the higher susceptibility to HCMV infection, reinfection, and/or reactivation in HIV-1–positive individuals enhances its impact on the NK cell receptor repertoire

Issue Section:
Correspondence
You do not currently have access to this article.
Download all slides