Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) for detection of NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)

Objective To analyze the possibility of using intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) to evaluate NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and to detect the changes in ADCC activity among patients with chronic HIV and/or HCV infection. Methods Flow cytometry was performed to determine the percentages of NK cells and the expression of NK cell receptors. ImageStreamX MarkⅡ system was used to identify the expression of CD3, CD56, CD16 and CD32 on CD56brightNK and CD56dimNK subsets. Degranulation process and cytokine production in NK cells were detected using an antigen-antibody complex model of P815/Ab in combination with ICS. Differences in NK cell-mediated ADCC were evaluated among patients infected with HIV and/or HIV and healthy subjects by flow cytometry. Results The percentages of CD107a+ and IFN-γ+ NK cells were positively correlated with the decrease of mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD16. ICS assay revealed a positive correlation between the secretion of CD107a and IFN-γ by NK cells. CD16 was highly expressed in CD56dimNK cells. The ADCC mediated by CD56dimNK cells was stronger than that mediated by CD56brightNK cells. The rate of target cell lysis detected by rapid fluorescence assay was positively correlated with the percentage of CD107a+ /IFN-γ+ NK cells measured by ICS. NK cell-mediated ADCC was suppressed in patients with chronic HIV and/or HCV infection. Conclusion This study suggests that ICS assay could be used to evaluate NK cell-mediated ADCC. It also reveals that NK cell-mediated ADCC is suppressed in patients with chronic HIV and/or HCV infection. Key words: NK cell; ADCC; HIV; HCV; CD107a; IFN-γ