Innate immune profiling reveals a specific reduction of CD57+CD62L+CD161+ NK cells in CMV-positive males with hypertension

Background: Innate immune dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a pivotal contributor to hypertension pathogenesis. However, the role of natural killer (NK) cells, a key innate lymphocyte population, remains poorly defined and controversial. Method: NK cells were further delineated by single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: Cytotoxic subset exhibited relative resistance to this depletion, explaining the observed subset inversion. Conclusion: NK cells. These findings reveal a novel immune mechanism underlying NK cell dysfunction and vascular inflammation in hypertension.