Natural killer cell responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in people living with HIV-1

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cell subsets with adaptive properties are emerging as regulators of vaccine-induced T and B cell responses and are specialized towards antibody-dependent functions contributing to SARS-CoV-2 control. Although HIV-1 infection is known to affect the NK cell pool, the additional impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination on NK cell responses in people living with HIV (PLWH) has remained unexplored. Our data show that SARS-CoV-2 infection skews NK cells towards a more differentiated/adaptive CD57⁺FcεRIγ^- phenotype in PLWH. A similar subset was induced following vaccination in SARS-CoV-2 naïve PLWH in addition to a CD56^bright population with cytotoxic potential. Antibody-dependent NK cell function showed robust and durable responses to Spike up to 148 days post-infection, with responses enriched in adaptive NK cells. NK cell responses were further boosted by the first vaccine dose in SARS-CoV-2 exposed individuals and peaked after the second dose in SARS-CoV-2 naïve PLWH. The presence of adaptive NK cells associated with the magnitude of cellular and humoral responses. These data suggest that features of adaptive NK cells can be effectively engaged to complement and boost vaccine-induced adaptive immunity in potentially more vulnerable groups such as PLWH.