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Hepatology
Original research
HBV vaccination and HBV infection induces HBV-specific natural killer cell memory
  1. Ratna S Wijaya1,2,
  2. Scott A Read1,3,4,
  3. Naomi R Truong5,
  4. Shuanglin Han1,
  5. Dishen Chen1,3,
  6. Haleh Shahidipour1,3,4,
  7. Nicole L Fewings6,
  8. Stephen Schibeci6,
  9. Mahmoud K Azardaryany1,
  10. Grant P Parnell6,
  11. David Booth6,
  12. David van der Poorten7,
  13. Rita Lin7,
  14. Jacob George1,7,
  15. Mark W Douglas1,7,8,
  16. Golo Ahlenstiel1,3,4
  1. 1 Storr Liver Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  2. 2 Faculty of Medicine, Pelita Harapan University, Tangerang, Indonesia
  3. 3 Blacktown Medical School, Western Sydney University, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia
  4. 4 Blacktown Hospital, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia
  5. 5 Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  6. 6 Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  7. 7 Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  8. 8 Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Professor Golo Ahlenstiel, Western Sydney University Blacktown Mount Druitt Medical School, Blacktown, NSW 2560, Australia; G.Ahlenstiel{at}westernsydney.edu.au

Abstract

Objective Vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) confers protection from subsequent infection through immunological memory that is traditionally considered the domain of the adaptive immune system. This view has been challenged following the identification of antigen-specific memory natural killer cells (mNKs) in mice and non-human primates. While the presence of mNKs has been suggested in humans based on the expansion of NK cells following pathogen exposure, evidence regarding antigen-specificity is lacking. Here, we demonstrate the existence of HBV-specific mNKs in humans after vaccination and in chronic HBV infection.

Design NK cell responses were evaluated by flow cytometry and ELISA following challenge with HBV antigens in HBV vaccinated, non-vaccinated and chronic HBV-infected individuals.

Results NK cells from vaccinated subjects demonstrated higher cytotoxic and proliferative responses against autologous hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-pulsed monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) compared with unvaccinated subjects. Moreover, NK cell lysis of HBsAg-pulsed moDCs was significantly higher than that of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)-pulsed moDCs (non-vaccine antigen) or tumour necrosis factor α-activated moDCs in a NKG2D-dependent manner. The mNKs response was mediated by CD56dim NK cells coexpressing CD57, CD69 and KLRG1. Further, mNKs from chronic hepatitis B patients exhibited greater degranulation against HBcAg-pulsed moDCs compared with unvaccinated or vaccinated patients. Notably, mNK activity was negatively correlated with HBV DNA levels.

Conclusions Our data support the presence of a mature mNKs following HBV antigen exposure either through vaccination or infection. Harnessing these antigen specific, functionally active mNKs provides an opportunity to develop novel treatments targeting HBV in chronic infection.

  • hepatitis B
  • chronic viral hepatitis
  • cellular immunity
  • immune response

https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319252

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors Designing research studies (RW, SR and GA), conducting experiments (RW, SR and NT), acquiring/analysing data (RW, SR, SH, SS, MKA and GA), providing tissues and reagents and interpreting results (DvdP, RL, GP, DB, MD, JG and GA) and writing the manuscript (SR, RW and GA).

    • Funding This project was supported by the Robert W. Storr Bequest to the Sydney Medical Foundation, University of Sydney; a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Programme grant no. 1053206; Australia Awards Scholarships. GA is supported by a Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation Investigatorship (VTL2015C022).

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Ethics approval Ethics approval was obtained from the Western Sydney Local Health District and University of Sydney.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Data availability statement Data are available on reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplementary information.

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