In vivo evidence insufficient to conclude that 'KIR/HLA incompatibility between sexual partners confers protection against HIV-1 transmission'.

摘要

Recently, Jennes et al investigated killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and corresponding HLA ligand in sexual transmission of HIV-1, hypothesizing that "NK cells from the recipient partner ... regulated by KIR ... sensing the lack of self HLA on incoming index cells" could eliminate those cells, preventing HIV transmission.1 Studying couples with HIV-positive index case, the authors reported that 2 of many possible combinations of recipient inhibitory KIR, recipient HLA, and index HLA were associated (positively or inversely) with nontransmission of HIV to the partner. The authors also reported that in vitro killing of CD4+ T cells from HIV-infected patients by natural killer (NK) cells of healthy individuals was enhanced by inhibitory KIR whose ligand was missing from target cells (usually accompanied by activating KIR 3DS1 with ligand Bw4 present in the target).