1. Natural killer cells from psoriasis vulgaris patients have reduced levels of cytotoxicity associated degranulation and cytokine production
- Author
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Brian Kirby, Anne-Marie Tobin, Genevieve Kelly, S.E. Dunphy, Cheryl M. Sweeney, and Clair M. Gardiner
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Adult ,Male ,Genotype ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Immunology ,HLA-C Antigens ,Biology ,Cell Degranulation ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Interleukin 21 ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immune system ,Receptors, KIR ,Psoriasis ,medicine ,Immunology and Allergy ,Humans ,Genetic Predisposition to Disease ,Aged ,Lymphokine-activated killer cell ,Degranulation ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Natural killer T cell ,Killer Cells, Natural ,030104 developmental biology ,Cytokine ,Phenotype ,Interleukin 12 ,Cytokines ,Female - Abstract
Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin with a strong genetic component and immune system involvement. Although some evidence suggests that Natural Killer (NK) cells may play a part in psoriasis, their role is relatively unstudied and results are controversial. In this current study, NK cells from psoriasis patients exhibited reduced degranulation and produced lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. Further investigation found that NK cells from psoriasis patients and healthy controls expressed similar levels of activation markers, NK cell receptors and apoptosis-inducing molecules. In addition, comparable levels of several cytokines important in NK cell biology were found in the serum of psoriasis patients and healthy controls. Genotyping analysis revealed that HLA-C2, which provides a ligand for killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) expressed by NK cells, was strongly associated with psoriasis susceptibility. However, no link between the KIR genes themselves and disease was found.
- Published
- 2015