Related Experiment Videos
Natural Killer Cell Subsets and Their Functional Activity in Behçet's Disease
Fulya Cosan1,2, Esin Aktas Cetin3, Nilgun Akdeniz3
1a Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Bahcesehir University , Istanbul , Turkey.
Immunological Investigations
|April 8, 2017
Summary
Natural killer (NK) cells show altered cytokine profiles in Behçet's disease (BD), suggesting an IFN-γ dominant response. However, NK cell cytotoxic activity and degranulation remain unchanged in BD patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Autoinflammatory Diseases
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare, chronic autoinflammatory disorder with unknown etiology.
- The role of natural killer (NK) cells, key innate immune regulators, in BD pathogenesis is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of NK cell subsets in BD patients.
- To analyze NK cell cytokine secretion and cytotoxic activity.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to assess NK cell receptors, surface markers, and intracellular cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ) in CD16+ NK cells.
- NK cell cytotoxicity was evaluated using CD107a expression and a CFSE-based assay.
- BD patients with mucocutaneous involvement were compared to healthy controls.
Main Results:
- While cytokine secretion patterns differed, NK cell cytotoxic activity, degranulation, and expression of activatory receptors were comparable between BD patients and controls.
- An increased NK1/NK2 ratio and elevated CD16+IFN-γ+ NK1 cells were observed in BD patients.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a potential bias towards an IFN-γ dominant immune response in the mucocutaneous manifestations of BD.
- Despite altered cytokine profiles, NK cell cytotoxic function appears preserved in BD.