Monocytes play an IL-12-dependent crucial role in driving cord blood NK cells to produce IFN-g in response to Trypanosoma cruzi.

We previously reported that foetuses congenitally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, mount an adult-like parasite-specific CD8(+) T-cell response, producing IFN-g, and present an altered NK cell phenotype, possibly reflecting a post-activation state supported by the ability of the parasite to trigger IFN-g synthesis by NK cells in vitro. We here extended our knowledge on NK cell activation by the parasite. We compared the ability of T.

Natural killer cell responses to infections in early life.

Natural killer (NK) cells are an important component of innate immune responses to infectious diseases. They mediate protection by being able to rapidly lyse infected cells and produce cytokines (primarily interferon-γ) that shape innate and adaptive immune responses. This review summarizes current knowledge on the phenotype and functional abilities of NK cells from healthy newborns/infants and on NK cell responses against viral, bacterial and protozoan infections in early life.