Hong, Henoch S.Ahmad, FareedEberhard, Johanna M.Bhatnagar, NupurBollmann, Benjamin A.Keudel, PhillipBallmaier, MatthiasZielinska-Skowronek, MargotSchmidt, Reinhold E.Meyer-Olson, Dirk2013-04-102012Hong, Henoch S., Fareed Ahmad, Johanna M. Eberhard, Nupur Bhatnagar, Benjamin A. Bollmann, Phillip Keudel, Matthias Ballmaier, Margot Zielinska-Skowronek, Reinhold E. Schmidt, and Dirk Meyer-Olson. 2012. Loss of CCR7 expression on \(CD56^{bright}\) NK cells is associated with a \(CD56^{dim}CD16^{+}\) NK cell-like phenotype and correlates with HIV viral load. PLoS ONE 7(9): e44820.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10524258NK cells are pivotal sentinels of the innate immune system and distinct subpopulations in peripheral blood have been described. A number of studies addressed HIV-induced alterations of NK cell phenotype and functionality mainly focusing on \(CD56^{dim}CD16^{+}\) and \(CD56^{-} CD16^{+}\) NK cells. However, the impact of HIV-infection on \(CD56^{bright}\) NK cells is less well understood. Here we report a rise of \(CD56^{bright}\) NK cells in HIV-infected individuals, which lack CCR7-expression and strongly correlate with HIV viral load. \(CCR7^{−} CD56^{bright}\) NK cells were characterized by increased cytolytic potential, higher activation states and a more differentiated phenotype. These cells thus acquired a number of features of \(CD56^{dim}CD16^{+}\) NK cells. Furthermore, \(CD56^{bright}\) NK cells from HIV patients exhibited higher degranulation levels compared to uninfected individuals. Thus, chronic HIV-infection is associated with a phenotypic and functional shift of \(CD56^{bright}\) NK cells, which provides a novel aspect of HIV-associated pathogenesis within the NK cell compartment.en-USBiologyImmunologyImmune CellsNK cellsImmunityInnate ImmunityMedicineClinical ImmunologyInfectious DiseasesViral DiseasesHIVHIV clinical manifestationsRetrovirology and HIV immunopathogenesisJournal Article2013-04-1010.1371/journal.pone.0044820