High-dimensional mass cytometry analysis of NK cell alterations in AML identifies a subgroup with adverse clinical outcome

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jun 1;118(22):e2020459118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2020459118.

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are major antileukemic immune effectors. Leukemic blasts have a negative impact on NK cell function and promote the emergence of phenotypically and functionally impaired NK cells. In the current work, we highlight an accumulation of CD56-CD16+ unconventional NK cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aberrant subset initially described as being elevated in patients chronically infected with HIV-1. Deep phenotyping of NK cells was performed using peripheral blood from patients with newly diagnosed AML (n = 48, HEMATOBIO cohort, NCT02320656) and healthy subjects (n = 18) by mass cytometry. We showed evidence of a moderate to drastic accumulation of CD56-CD16+ unconventional NK cells in 27% of patients. These NK cells displayed decreased expression of NKG2A as well as the triggering receptors NKp30 and NKp46, in line with previous observations in HIV-infected patients. High-dimensional characterization of these NK cells highlighted a decreased expression of three additional major triggering receptors required for NK cell activation, NKG2D, DNAM-1, and CD96. A high proportion of CD56-CD16+ NK cells at diagnosis was associated with an adverse clinical outcome and decreased overall survival (HR = 0.13; P = 0.0002) and event-free survival (HR = 0.33; P = 0.018) and retained statistical significance in multivariate analysis. Pseudotime analysis of the NK cell compartment highlighted a disruption of the maturation process, with a bifurcation from conventional NK cells toward CD56-CD16+ NK cells. Overall, our data suggest that the accumulation of CD56-CD16+ NK cells may be the consequence of immune escape from innate immunity during AML progression.

Keywords: AML; CD56−CD16+ NK cells; mass cytometry; natural killer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD / immunology
  • Flow Cytometry / methods*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology*
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Remission Induction
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antigens, CD

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02320656