Cytotoxicity of CD56(bright) NK cells towards autologous activated CD4+ T cells is mediated through NKG2D, LFA-1 and TRAIL and dampened via CD94/NKG2A.

ABSTRACT: In mouse models of chronic inflammatory diseases, Natural Killer (NK) cells can play an immunoregulatory role by eliminating chronically activated leukocytes. Indirect evidence suggests that NK cells may also be immunoregulatory in humans. Two subsets of human NK cells can be phenotypically distinguished as CD16(+)CD56(dim) and CD16(dim/-)CD56(bright). An expansion in the CD56(bright) NK cell subset has been associated with clinical responses to therapy in various autoimmune diseases, suggesting an immunoregulatory role for this subset in vivo. Here we compared the regulation of activated human CD4(+) T cells by CD56(dim) and CD56(bright) autologous NK cells in vitro. Both subsets efficiently killed activated, but not resting, CD4(+) T cells. The activating receptor NKG2D, as well as the i

SUBMITTER: Nielsen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3284517 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature