Severe cutaneous human papillomavirus infection associated with natural killer cell deficiency following stem cell transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency

Abstract

The authors identify Natural Killer cell deficiency in post-transplant severe combined immunodeficiency patients who developed severe human papilloma virus infections as a long term complication.

Figure Ia

Multiple warts seen on the hands of a patient 7 years after HSCT for γc SCID.

Figure Ib. HPV infection in post-HSCT patient is associated with low number of NK cells in PBMCs

NK cell numbers were compared in patients before (Pre-HSCT, left) and after (Post-HSCT, middle and right) hematopoietic stem cell transplant(HSCT). In comparison to the Pre-HSCT group, a failure to increase NK cell number (p<0.09) after transplant is noted in patients with HPV (middle), whereas patients without HPV show significantly higher number of NK cells (p<0.0001) (right). P values were obtained by 2-tailed T-test.

Figure Ic. IL-2 rescues cytotoxic effect of NK cells in HPV+ SCID patients

4 hour cytotoxicity assay was performed against K562 target cells using PBMCs as effectors from healthy donors (black) and patients with HPV (red, blue, green and teal) in the presence (dotted line) or absence (solid line) of IL-2. For each pair of IL-2 treated vs untreated group, increases in IL-2 mediated cytotoxicity were significant (P < 0.002, two-way ANOVA).