Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change
Natural killer (NK) cells play a therapeutic role in liver fibrosis (LF). We aimed to analyze NK cells in heavy drinkers without cirrhosis or decompensated liver disease and establish correlations with other related subpopulations. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol consumption, labor...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/2/305 |
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| author | Paola Zuluaga Aina Teniente-Serra Daniel Fuster Bibiana Quirant-Sánchez Anna Hernandez-Rubio Eva Martínez-Cáceres Roberto Muga |
| author_facet | Paola Zuluaga Aina Teniente-Serra Daniel Fuster Bibiana Quirant-Sánchez Anna Hernandez-Rubio Eva Martínez-Cáceres Roberto Muga |
| author_sort | Paola Zuluaga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural killer (NK) cells play a therapeutic role in liver fibrosis (LF). We aimed to analyze NK cells in heavy drinkers without cirrhosis or decompensated liver disease and establish correlations with other related subpopulations. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol consumption, laboratory parameters, and immunophenotyping of NK (CD16<sup>+</sup>/CD56<sup>+</sup>), T (CD3<sup>+</sup>), B (CD19<sup>+</sup>), NKT (CD16<sup>+</sup>/CD56<sup>+</sup>/CD3<sup>+</sup>), and cytotoxic (CD3<sup>-</sup>CD8<sup>+</sup>) cells were collected. Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores were used to compare patients without (FIB-4 < 1.45) and with (FIB-4 > 3.25) advanced LF (ALF). We included 136 patients (76% male) with a mean age of 49 years who had a 15-year alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol consumption of 164 g/day. Patients with ALF (<i>n</i> = 25) presented significantly lower absolute total lymphocyte, T cell, B cell, and NKT cell numbers than patients without LF (<i>n</i> = 50; <i>p</i> < 0.01). However, the NK cells count was similar (208 ± 109 cells/µL vs. 170 ± 105 cells/µL) in both groups. The T cells percentage was lower (80.3 ± 5.6% vs. 77 ± 7%; <i>p =</i> 0.03) and the NK cells percentage was higher (9.7 ± 5% vs. 13 ± 6%; <i>p =</i> 0.02) in patients with ALF than in those without LF. The percentages of NK cells and T cells were inversely correlated in patients without (r = –0.65, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and with ALF (r = −0.64; <i>p</i> < 0.01). Additionally, the NK cells and CD3<sup>-</sup>CD8<sup>+</sup> cell percentages were positively correlated in patients without (r = 0.87, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and with (r = 0.92; <i>p</i> < 0.01) ALF. Conclusions: Heavy drinkers without decompensated liver disease showed an increase in NK cells related to T cells lymphopenia and an increase in cytotoxic populations. The interaction of NK cells with other subpopulations may modify alcohol-related liver disease progression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:14:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4632b07c028a4a1481b0cd7602d71783 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:14:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-4632b07c028a4a1481b0cd7602d717832023-11-23T14:11:46ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832022-01-0111230510.3390/jcm11020305Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations ChangePaola Zuluaga0Aina Teniente-Serra1Daniel Fuster2Bibiana Quirant-Sánchez3Anna Hernandez-Rubio4Eva Martínez-Cáceres5Roberto Muga6Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Immunology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Immunology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Immunology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol-IGTP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Barcelona, SpainNatural killer (NK) cells play a therapeutic role in liver fibrosis (LF). We aimed to analyze NK cells in heavy drinkers without cirrhosis or decompensated liver disease and establish correlations with other related subpopulations. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol consumption, laboratory parameters, and immunophenotyping of NK (CD16<sup>+</sup>/CD56<sup>+</sup>), T (CD3<sup>+</sup>), B (CD19<sup>+</sup>), NKT (CD16<sup>+</sup>/CD56<sup>+</sup>/CD3<sup>+</sup>), and cytotoxic (CD3<sup>-</sup>CD8<sup>+</sup>) cells were collected. Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores were used to compare patients without (FIB-4 < 1.45) and with (FIB-4 > 3.25) advanced LF (ALF). We included 136 patients (76% male) with a mean age of 49 years who had a 15-year alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol consumption of 164 g/day. Patients with ALF (<i>n</i> = 25) presented significantly lower absolute total lymphocyte, T cell, B cell, and NKT cell numbers than patients without LF (<i>n</i> = 50; <i>p</i> < 0.01). However, the NK cells count was similar (208 ± 109 cells/µL vs. 170 ± 105 cells/µL) in both groups. The T cells percentage was lower (80.3 ± 5.6% vs. 77 ± 7%; <i>p =</i> 0.03) and the NK cells percentage was higher (9.7 ± 5% vs. 13 ± 6%; <i>p =</i> 0.02) in patients with ALF than in those without LF. The percentages of NK cells and T cells were inversely correlated in patients without (r = –0.65, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and with ALF (r = −0.64; <i>p</i> < 0.01). Additionally, the NK cells and CD3<sup>-</sup>CD8<sup>+</sup> cell percentages were positively correlated in patients without (r = 0.87, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and with (r = 0.92; <i>p</i> < 0.01) ALF. Conclusions: Heavy drinkers without decompensated liver disease showed an increase in NK cells related to T cells lymphopenia and an increase in cytotoxic populations. The interaction of NK cells with other subpopulations may modify alcohol-related liver disease progression.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/2/305alcohol liver diseaseFIB-4 scorelymphocyte population |
| spellingShingle | Paola Zuluaga Aina Teniente-Serra Daniel Fuster Bibiana Quirant-Sánchez Anna Hernandez-Rubio Eva Martínez-Cáceres Roberto Muga Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change Journal of Clinical Medicine alcohol liver disease FIB-4 score lymphocyte population |
| title | Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change |
| title_full | Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change |
| title_fullStr | Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change |
| title_short | Increased Natural Killer Cells Are Associated with Alcohol Liver Fibrosis and with T Cell and Cytotoxic Subpopulations Change |
| title_sort | increased natural killer cells are associated with alcohol liver fibrosis and with t cell and cytotoxic subpopulations change |
| topic | alcohol liver disease FIB-4 score lymphocyte population |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/2/305 |
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