Analysis of KIR2D receptors on peripheral blood lymphocytes from liver graft recipients

• Published in: Transplant Immunology 2006-12, Vol.17 (1), p.51-54
• Main Authors: López-Álvarez, María R., Gómez-Mateo, Jorge, Ruiz-Merino, Guadalupe, Campillo, José A., Miras, Manuel, García-Alonso, Ana M., Sánchez-Bueno, Francisco, Parrilla, Pascual, Álvarez-López, María R., Minguela, Alfredo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute rejection; Case-Control Studies; CD158; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Female; Graft Rejection - immunology; HLA-C Antigens - metabolism; Humans; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; KIR receptors; Liver transplantation; Liver Transplantation - adverse effects; Liver Transplantation - immunology; Lymphocytes - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Receptors, Immunologic - blood; Receptors, KIR; Receptors, KIR2DL1; Receptors, KIR2DL2; Receptors, KIR2DL3; T cells; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
• ISSN: 0966-3274; 1878-5492; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trim.2006.09.015

KIR2D receptors are killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) specific for HLA-C epitopes, that are expressed on NK cells as well as on minor peripheral blood T-cell subsets, and are able to control NK and T cells activity. The present work explores NK, and particularly CD8 + T cells expressing KIR2D2L1/S1 (CD158a) or KIR2D2L2/3/S2 (CD158b) receptors in liver graft alloresponse. Flow cytometry was used to analyse peripheral blood mononuclear cells stained with anti-CD158a and anti-CD158b antibodies from 110 liver recipients and 46 healthy controls, previous to and along the first month after transplantation. Pre-transplantation data shows that both CD158a and CD158b molecules can be detected on NK and T cells from all patients and controls, but both KIR2D +NK cells are significantly under-represented in patients respect to controls ( P < 0.001), and CD3 +CD8 +CD158a + cells decreased particularly in patients suffering from acute rejection (4.03 ± 1.33 cells/μL) compared with controls (7.8 ± 2.4 cells/μL). Following transplantation, KIR2D +CD8 + T-cell repertoires increased through the first month, mainly in recipients with a good graft acceptance. In summary, monitoring of KIR2D +CD8 + T cells, particularly KIR2DL1/S1 +CD8 + T cells at pre-transplant, and both KIR2DL1/S1 + and KIR2DL2/3/S2 + T-cell subsets at early post-transplant period, could offer useful information for clinical follow-up of liver grafts.