The Notch signaling pathway plays a substantial role in human NK cell development. However, the role of Notch on killer Ig–like receptor (KIR) upregulation and acquisition of effector function has not been explored. To evaluate how Notch influences terminal differentiation , cord blood–derived NK cells or sorted peripheral blood NK cells were cultured with IL-15 for 7 d with inhibitory or activ...

Natural killer (NK) cell activation receptors accumulate by an actin-dependent process at cytotoxic immune synapses where they provide synergistic signals that trigger NK cell effector functions. In contrast, NK cell inhibitory receptors, including members of the MHC class I-specific killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) family, accumulate at inhibitory immune synapses, block actin dynamics, and p...

BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells are the effector cells of innate immunity that respond to infection and tumor. Interactions between killer cell immunoglobulin like receptors (KIR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules regulate NK cells responses to eliminate infected and transformed cells. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of KIR genes, HLA ligand genes, and KIR-HLA combi...

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to explore whether killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genotypes and haplotypes are associated with dry eye disease (DED) in a Han Chinese population. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) method was used to genotype KIR genes in 106 patients with DED and 220 healthy controls. RESULTS Twenty-three KIR genotyp...

MHC class I-specific inhibitory receptors are expressed by a subset of memory-phenotype CD8(+) T cells. Similar to NK cells, MHC class I-specific inhibitory receptors might subserve on T cells an important negative control that participates to the prevention of autologous damage. We analyzed here human CD8(+) T cells that express the Ig-like MHC class I-specific inhibitory receptors: killer cel...

Müller cell gliosis, which is characterized by upregulated expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), is a universal response in many retinal pathological conditions. Whether down-regulation of inward rectifying K+ (Kir) channels, which commonly accompanies the enhanced GFAP expression, could contribute to Müller cell gliosis is poorly understood. We investigated changes of Kir curre...

An inward rectifier potassium current, Kir, has been identified in cerebral and coronary resistance vessels, where it is considered to be an important determinant of resting membrane potential (RMP) and to play a role in blood flow regulation. We investigated the functional role of Kir in the renal afferent arteriole using the in vitro–perfused hydronephrotic rat kidney. Increasing external KCl...