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Review
. 2013 Dec 9:4:422.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00422.

Functional Significance of CD57 Expression on Human NK Cells and Relevance to Disease

Carolyn M Nielsen  1 , Matthew J White  1 , Martin R Goodier  1 , Eleanor M Riley  1
Affiliations
Review

Functional Significance of CD57 Expression on Human NK Cells and Relevance to Disease

Carolyn M Nielsen et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Historically, human NK cells have been identified as CD3(-)CD56(+)CD16(±) lymphocytes. More recently it has been established that CD57 expression defines functionally discrete sub-populations of NK cells. On T cells, CD57 expression has been regarded as a marker of terminal differentiation and (perhaps wrongly) of anergy and senescence. Similarly, CD57 expression seems to identify the final stages of peripheral NK cell maturation; its expression increases with age and is associated with chronic infections, particularly human cytomegalovirus infection. However, CD57(+) NK cells are highly cytotoxic and their presence seems to be beneficial in a number of non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this article is to review our current understanding of CD57 expression as a marker of NK cell function and disease prognosis, as well as to outline areas for further research.

Keywords: CD57; HCMV infection; NK cells; T cells; ageing; autoimmune diseases; cancer; chronic infection.

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