Low expression of inhibitory natural killer receptors in CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes in long-term non-progressor HIV-1-infected patients.

We investigated whether a different pattern of HLA-specific inhibitory natural killer receptor (iNKR) expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of long-term non-progressor (LTNP) patients explained their benign course of HIV-1 infection. The surface expression of p70, p140 and CD94/NKG2A in their CD3+CD8+ PBMC was comparable to that of uninfected donors. The lack of iNKR-mediated functional inhibition of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro could provide an additional mechanism for the efficient control of virus spread in LTNP patients.