Natural Killer (NK) Cells: The Missing Link between Antibody-Mediated Rejection (ABMR) and Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD)?

Our data shows that the presence of DSA impacts on the phenotype and function of NK cells following LTx. Moreover, as previous research has shown an association between NKG2C expression, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and CLAD, our study potentially provides a missing link between CMV infection and CLAD. Future confirmation of NKG2C+ NK cells as mediators of ABMR will lead to development of targeted diagnostic criteria and specific therapies to offer early therapeutic interventions to prevent CLAD, thereby improving LTx outcomes.