Aurélie Gaultier, Linda Wittkop, Christelle Retière, François Raffi, Ketevan Gendzekhadze, Audrey Rodallec, Clotilde Allavena, Anne Cesbron, Dominique Salmon, Nolwenn Legrand, Katia Gagne, Gaëlle David, EFS Centre-Pays de la Loire [Nantes], Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Nantes-Angers (CRCINA), Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Université d'Angers (UA), Hôtel-Dieu de Nantes, Hôtel-Dieu, Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5), Bordeaux population health (BPH), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut de Santé Publique, d'Épidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Santé Publique, d'Epidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED), Université Bordeaux Segalen - Bordeaux 2, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes), Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation [Duarte, California, USA], City of Hope National Medical Center-City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center [Duarte], LabEX IGO Immunothérapie Grand Ouest, LabEx Transplantex [Strasbourg], Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA), Immunobiology of Human αβ and γδ T Cells and Immunotherapeutic Applications (CRCINA-ÉQUIPE 1), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Nantes - UFR de Médecine et des Techniques Médicales (UFR MEDECINE), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Angers (UA)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Nantes - UFR de Médecine et des Techniques Médicales (UFR MEDECINE), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Angers (UA), Service de virologie [CHU Nantes], Centre d'Immunologie et de Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Etablissement Français du Sang [Pays de la Loire] (EFS - Site de Nantes), Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu [Nantes] (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes), Service de maladies infectieuses et tropicales [Nantes], Université de Nantes (UN)-Hôtel-Dieu-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes)-Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre hospitalier universitaire de Nantes (CHU Nantes), Nantes Université (Nantes Univ), and Bernardo, Elizabeth
Summary Natural killer (NK) cell functions are regulated by diverse inhibitory and activating receptors, including killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), which interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules. Some KIR/HLA genetic combinations were reported associated with spontaneous clearance (SC) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) but with discordant results, possibly reflecting KIR and/or HLA gene polymorphism according to populations. KIR/HLA genetic combinations associated with both an exhaustive NK and T cell repertoire were investigated in a cohort of HIV–HCV co-infected individuals with either SC (n = 68) or chronic infection (CI, n = 163) compared to uninfected blood donors [controls (Ctrl), n = 100]. Multivariate analysis showed that the HLA C2C2 environment was associated with SC only in European HIV–HCV co-infected individuals [odds ratio (OR) = 4·30, 95% confidence interval = 1·57–12·25, P = 0·005]. KIR2D+ NK cell repertoire and potential of degranulation of KIR2DL1/S1+ NK cells were similar in the SC European cohort compared to uninfected individuals. In contrast, decreased frequencies of KIR2DS1+ and KIR2DL2+ NK cells were detected in the CI group of Europeans compared to SC and a decreased frequency of KIR2DL1/S1+ NK cells compared to controls. Regarding T cells, higher frequencies of DNAX accessory molecule-1 (DNAM-1)+ and CD57+ T cells were observed in SC in comparison to controls. Interestingly, SC subjects emphasized increased frequencies of KIR2DL2/L3/S2+ T cells compared to CI subjects. Our study underlines that the C2 environment may activate efficient KIR2DL1+ NK cells in a viral context and maintain a KIR2DL2/L3/S2+ mature T cell response in the absence of KIR2DL2 engagement with its cognate ligands in SC group of HCV–HIV co-infected European patients.