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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

qKAT: Quantitative Semi-automated Typing of Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genes
Published on: March 6, 2019
Diversity of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors and Disease
1Department of Surgery, Immunogenetics and Transplantation Laboratory, University of California San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 150, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
Abstract:
Natural killer (NK) cells are bone marrow-derived large granular lymphocytes defined by CD3negCD56pos and represent 5% to 25% of peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction of the healthy humans. NK cells have a highly specific and sophisticated target cell recognition receptor system arbitrated by the integration of signals triggered by a multitude of inhibitory and activating receptors. Human NK cells express distinct families of receptors, including (1) killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors, (2) killer cell lectin-like receptors, (3) leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors, and (4) natural cytotoxicity receptors.
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