There are a surprisingly large number of human natural killer (NK) cell deficiency states that
provide insight into the role of NK cells in defense against human infectious disease. Many
disorders associated with NK cell defects are caused by single gene mutations and, thus,
give additional understanding concerning the function of specific molecules in NK cell
development and activities. A resounding theme of NK cell deficiencies is susceptibility to
herpesviruses, suggesting that unexplained severe herpesviral infection should raise the …