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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

qKAT: Quantitative Semi-automated Typing of Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genes
Published on: March 6, 2019
Modelling KIR-HLA genotype disparities in type 1 diabetes
A R van der Slik1, B Z Alizadeh, B P C Koeleman
1Department of Immunohaematology & Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We previously reported that a disparate distribution between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class 1 genes is associated with susceptibility to develop type 1 diabetes. Here we compare multiple models which reflect the combined genotype effects of combinations of functional inhibitory and activating KIRs in relation to HLA in an extended cohort of patients with juvenile-onset type 1 diabetes and non-diabetic control subjects. Our results suggest that autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes is mainly associated with a decrease in inhibitory KIR-HLA genotype combinations, while the influence of activating KIR genotypes seems redundant. However, logistic regression showed that activating KIR genotypes do influence the overall hierarchy of protection/susceptibility as reflected by composite inhibitory and activating KIR-HLA genotype models.
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