HLA and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors influence the natural course of CMV infection.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells provide a major defense against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection through the interaction of their surface receptors, including the activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I molecules. This study assessed whether the KIR and HLA repertoire may influence the risk of developing symptomatic or asymptomatic disease after primary CMV infection in the immunocompetent host.

Methods: Sixty immunocompetent patients with primary symptomatic CMV infection were genotyped for KIR and their HLA ligands, along with 60 subjects with a previous asymptomatic infection as controls.

Results: The frequency of the homozygous A haplotype (only KIR2DS4 as activating KIR) was higher in symptomatic patients than controls (30% vs 12%, respectively; odds ratio [OR] = 3.24; P = .01). By logistic regression, the risk of developing symptomatic disease was associated with the homozygous A haplotype and the HLABw4(T) allele. Combining the 2 independent variables, we found that 37 out of 60 (62%) symptomatic patients but only 18 out of 60 (30%) of controls possessed the homozygous A haplotype or the HLABw4(T) allele with a highly significant OR (OR = 3.75, P < .0005).

Conclusions: Immunocompetent subjects carrying the homozygous A haplotype or the HLABw4(T) allele are at higher risk of developing symptomatic disease after primary CMV infection.