CD8 T cells express randomly selected KIRs with distinct specificities compared with NK cells

NK Björkström, V Béziat, F Cichocki… - Blood, The Journal …, 2012 - ashpublications.org
NK Björkström, V Béziat, F Cichocki, LL Liu, J Levine, S Larsson, RA Koup, SK Anderson
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2012ashpublications.org
Epistatic interactions between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their
cognate HLA class I ligands have important implications for reproductive success, antiviral
immunity, susceptibility to autoimmune conditions and cancer, as well as for graft-versus-
leukemia reactions in settings of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Although CD8 T cells
are known to acquire KIRs when maturing from naive to terminally differentiated cells, little
information is available about the constitution of KIR repertoires on human CD8 T cells …
Abstract
Epistatic interactions between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their cognate HLA class I ligands have important implications for reproductive success, antiviral immunity, susceptibility to autoimmune conditions and cancer, as well as for graft-versus-leukemia reactions in settings of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Although CD8 T cells are known to acquire KIRs when maturing from naive to terminally differentiated cells, little information is available about the constitution of KIR repertoires on human CD8 T cells. Here, we have performed a high-resolution analysis of KIR expression on CD8 T cells. The results show that most CD8 T cells possess a restricted KIR expression pattern, often dominated by a single activating or inhibitory KIR. Furthermore, the expression of KIR, and its modulation of CD8 T-cell function, was independent of expression of self-HLA class I ligands. Finally, despite similarities in the stochastic regulation of KIRs by the bidirectional proximal promoter, the specificity of inhibitory KIRs on CD8 T cells was often distinct from that of natural killer cells in the same individual. The results provide new insight into the formation of KIR repertoires on human T cells.
ashpublications.org