People with Absence of Natural Killer Cell Receptor Most Likely to Develop Severe COVID-19, Finds Study

On their surface, these killer cells have special, activating receptors, including the NKG2C receptor, which communicates with an infected cell via one of its specialized surface structures, HLA-E. This interaction results in the destruction of virus-infected cells. The researchers have shown that people who required hospitalization with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to exhibit the genetic variation underlying the lack of the receptor than people who only experienced mild disease. The study indicates the major importance of NK-cell response in the battle against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

"Absence of the receptor was particularly prevalent in COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive care units, irrespective of age or gender. Genetic variations on the HLA-E of the infected cell were also associated with disease severity, albeit to a lesser extent," said Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl who led the research team. "This part of the immune response could therefore also represent an important target for drugs that could help to prevent severe COVID-19 disease."

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Medical University of Vienna