Single-cell profiling identifies a CD8^bright CD244^bright Natural Killer cell subset that reflects disease activity in HLA-A29-positive birdshot chorioretinopathy.

ABSTRACT: Birdshot chorioretinopathy is an inflammatory eye condition strongly associated with MHC-I allele HLA-A29. The striking association with MHC-I suggests involvement of T cells, whereas natural killer (NK) cell involvement remains largely unstudied. Here we show that HLA-A29-positive birdshot chorioretinopathy patients have a skewed NK cell pool containing expanded CD16 positive NK cells which produce more proinflammatory cytokines. These NK cells contain populations that express CD8A which is involved in MHC-I recognition on target cells, display gene signatures indicative of high cytotoxic activity (GZMB, PRF1 and ISG15), and signaling through NK cell receptor CD244 (SH2D1B). Long-term monitoring of a cohort of birdshot chorioretinopathy patients with active disease identifies a population

SUBMITTER: Nath PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11291632 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature