Decreased NK cell frequency and function is associated with increased risk of KIR3DL allele polymorphism in SIV- infected rhesus macaques with high viral loads

Abstrakt

Here we define 14 different alleles of KIR3DL expressed among 38 SIV infected RM, characterized by either high or low levels of SIV replication. High levels of SIV replication were associated with significant increases in KIR3DL mRNA levels in addition to decreases in both the frequency and function of NK cells in these animals. The higher frequency of inheritance of two KIR3DL alleles characterized by a single nucleotide polymorphism 159 H/Q was associated with RM that exhibited high plasma viral load.

This data for the first time defines multiple alleles of KIR3DL in RM and shows an association between virus control, NK cell function and genetic polymorphisms of KIR receptors.