NCR1 and NCR3 Expression and Genetic Polymorphism are Associated with CMV Infection after Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Sylwia Biały; Piotr Łacina; Jagoda Siemaszko; Donata Szymczak; Agnieszka Szeremet; Maciej Majcherek; Anna Czyż; Małgorzata Sobczyk-Kruszelnicka; Wojciech Fidyk; Iwona Solarska; Barbara Nasiłowska-Adamska; Patrycja Skowrońska; Maria Bieniaszewska; Agnieszka Tomaszewska; Grzegorz W. Basak; Sebastian Giebel; Tomasz Wróbel; Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik

doi:10.2478/aite-2026-0019

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NCR1 and NCR3 Expression and Genetic Polymorphism are Associated with CMV Infection after Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis

Volume 74 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)

By: Sylwia Biały, Piotr Łacina, Jagoda Siemaszko, Donata Szymczak, Agnieszka Szeremet, Maciej Majcherek, Anna Czyż, Małgorzata Sobczyk-Kruszelnicka, Wojciech Fidyk, Iwona Solarska, Barbara Nasiłowska-Adamska, Patrycja Skowrońska, Maria Bieniaszewska, Agnieszka Tomaszewska, Grzegorz W. Basak, Sebastian Giebel, Tomasz Wróbel and Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Figures & Tables

The gating strategy: (A–H): singlets in peripheral blood after excluding doublets and debris; dark blue—lymphocytes T CD3+; orangeNK cells; pink—monocytes; yellow—granulocytes; blue—basophils. (A) discrimination of debris (FSC-A vs. SSC-A); (B) discrimination of doublets (FSC-A vs. FSC-H); (C) gating of the peripheral blood leukocyte populations (CD45 vs. SSC-A); (D) lymphocytes T CD3+ and NK cells—(CD3 vs. SSc-A); (E) NK cell subpopulations (CD56 vs. CD16); (F) NK cells CD335 positive (CD335 vs. SSc-A); (G) NK cells CD336 positive (CD336 vs. SSc-A); (H) NK cells CD337 positive (CD337 vs. SSc-A).

Differences in the expression of genes encoding NCR1 and NCR3 receptors and IFN-γ (IFNG) in HSCT patients with CMV infection and in patients without complications. (A) NCR1 expression level in CMV-positive patients vs. patients without complications; (B) NCR3 expression level in CMV-positive patients vs. patients without complications; (C) IFNG expression level in CMV-positive patients vs. patients without complications. CMV, cytomegalovirus; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Correlation between INF-γ (IFNG) expression and NCR1 and NCR3 genes (A,B) in patients with CMV infection after HSCT. A strong correlation between IFNG and both NCR1 and NCR3 can be observed. CMV, cytomegalovirus; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Change over time in the percentage of NK cells expressing the NCR1 receptor in patients with or without CMV infection post-HSCT. CMV, cytomegalovirus; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; NK, natural killer.

Kaplan–Meier survival curves of patients post-HSCT stratified by donor NCR3 rs11575836 genotype. Patients transplanted from the NCR3 rs11575836 AA homozygous donors were characterized with better overall survival. HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Relationship between NCR1 rs1433097 donor genotype (A) and NCR3 rs11575836 recipient genotype (B) and risk of CMV infection after HSCT. CMV, cytomegalovirus; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Distribution of genotypes in NCR genes in HSCT recipients and donors

Gene	rs number	Allel/Genotype	Donors n = 120 [%]	Recipients n = 279 [%]
NCR1	rs2278428	C	13 [5.42]	34 [6.09]
		A	227 [94.58]	524 [93.91]
		CC	0 [0.00]	8 [2.87]
		AA	107 [89.17]	253 [90.68]
		CA	13 [10.83]	18 [6.45]
	rs34549987	C	125 [52.08]	305 [54.66]
		T	115 [47.92]	253 [45.34]
		CC	38 [31.67]	82 [29.39]
		TT	33 [27.50]	56 [20.07]
		CT	49 [40.83]	141 [50.54]
	rs1433097	C	29 [12.39]	75 [54.35]
		T	205 [87.61]	63 [45.65]
		CC	1 [0.85]	6 [2.19]
		TT	89 [76.07]	205 [74.82]
		CT	27 [23.08]	63 [22.99]
NCR2	rs2236369	T	109 [45.42]	239 [42.83]
		C	131 [54.58]	319 [57.17]
		TT	19 [15.83]	46 [16.49]
		CC	30 [25.00]	86 [30.82]
		TC	71 [59.17]	147 [52.69]
	rs9394782	T	91 [37.92]	202 [36.20]
		C	149 [62.08]	356 [63.80]
		TT	13 [10.83]	34 [12.19]
		CC	42 [35.00]	111 [39.78]
		TC	65 [54.17]	134 [48.03]
	rs2273962	A	80 [33.33]	159 [28.49]
		G	160 [66.67]	399 [71.51]
		AA	10 [8.33]	26 [9.32]
		GG	50 [41.67]	146 [52.33]
		AG	60 [50.00]	107 [38.35]
NCR3	rs11575836	A	207 [86.25]	502 [89.96]
		G	33 [13.75]	56 [10.04]
		AA	90 [75.00]	225 [80.65]
		GG	3 [2.50]	2 [0.72]
		AG	27 [22.50]	52 [18.64]

Patients'characteristics

	N = 287	%

Recipient sex
M/F	167/120	58.19/41.81

Donor-Recipient sex match
Male to male	127	44.25
Male to female	69	24.04
Female to female	48	16.72
Female to male	39	13.59

Donor type
MUD	94	32.75
MMUD	16	5.58
MSD	115	40.07
Haploidentical	62	21.60

Recipient conditioning
MAC	148	51.57
RIC	135	47.70
NMA	3	1.04

GvHD prophylaxis
CSA + MTX	188	65.51
PTCy + TAC + MMF	50	17.42
CSA + MMF	7	2.44
TAC + MTX	3	1.05
TAC + MMF	3	1.05
Other	36	12.54

CMV IgG status
Recipient positive	234	81.15
Donor positive	189	65.85

Post-transplant complications
aGvHD	114	39.72
grade I	54	18.82
grade II	41	14.29
grades II-IV	19	6.62
cGvHD	59	20.56
CMV infection	101	35.19
Relapse	45	15.68
Death	48	16.72

Characteristics of selected SNPs in NCR genes

Gene	rs number	Allelic variants	Consequence	Amino acid	MAF	Position
NCR1	rs2278428	C > A	Missense variant	Q (Gln) > K (Lys)	0.08	chr19:54906696
	rs34549987	C > T	Intron variant (potential TFBS)	N/A	0.46	chr19:54905596
	rs1433097	C > T	Intron variant (potential TFBS)	N/A	0.16	chr19:54907100
NCR2	rs2236369	T > C	Missense variant	S (Ser) > P (Pro)	0.41	chr6:41341814
	rs9394782	T > C	Initiator codon variant	M (Met) > T (Thr)	0.33	chr6:41335854
	rs2273962	A > G	Missense variant	M (Met) > V (Val)	0.23	chr6:41350700
NCR3	rs11575836	A > G	5'UTR variant (potential TFBS)	N/A	0.13	chr6:31592925

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aite-2026-0019 | Journal eISSN: 1661-4917

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Language: English

Submitted on: Jan 7, 2026

Accepted on: Mar 17, 2026

Published on: Jun 25, 2026

Published by: Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

Keywords:

HSCT,

CMV,

Related subjects:

Basic medical science,

Biochemistry,

Immunology,

Clinical medicine,

Clinical medicine, other,

Clinical chemistry

© 2026 Sylwia Biały, Piotr Łacina, Jagoda Siemaszko, Donata Szymczak, Agnieszka Szeremet, Maciej Majcherek, Anna Czyż, Małgorzata Sobczyk-Kruszelnicka, Wojciech Fidyk, Iwona Solarska, Barbara Nasiłowska-Adamska, Patrycja Skowrońska, Maria Bieniaszewska, Agnieszka Tomaszewska, Grzegorz W. Basak, Sebastian Giebel, Tomasz Wróbel, Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik, published by Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 74 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)

NCR1 and NCR3 Expression and Genetic Polymorphism are Associated with CMV Infection after Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Figures & Tables

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

Fig 3.

Fig 4.

Fig 5.

Fig 6.

Distribution of genotypes in NCR genes in HSCT recipients and donors

Patients'characteristics

Characteristics of selected SNPs in NCR genes

Paradigm

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