Hantavirus-infected endothelial cells express high levels of the NKG2C ligand HLA-E and expansion of the NKG2C+ NK cell subset is seen only in HCMV seropositive hantavirus patients, suggesting that hantavirus-induced HLA-E expression and/or inflammatory cytokines released during infection may drive the expansion and subsequent maturation of NKG2C+ NK cells that have been induced or “primed” by HCMV infection (114). Here, HLA-E is linked to cytomegalovirus infection.