CD8(+)NKR-P1A (+)T cells preferentially accumulate in human liver.
A unique subset of T cells that co-express NKR-P1, which is a lectin type of NK receptor and is thought to have a major role in triggering NK activity, has been identified. In mice, NK1.1 (mouse NKR-P1C)(+) T cells, called NKT cells, preferentially accumulate in the liver and bone marrow. They predominantly use invariant Valpha14 chain TCR and phenotypically are CD4(+)CD8(-) or CD4(-)CD8(-) T cells. In this study, we analyzed, phenotypically and functionally, the NKR-P1A (analogue of murine NKR-P1C)(+) T cells resident in the human liver. Here, we show that in complete contrast to the NKT cells in the mouse liver, the majority of NKR-P1A(+) T cells in the human liver are CD8(+) and their TCR repertoire is not skewed to Valpha24 TCR, the homologue of murine Valpha14 TCR. Almost all of the NKR-P1A(+) T cells in the human liver expressed CD69, suggesting that they were activated. Furthermore, the NKR-P1A(+) T cells in the human liver exhibited strong cytotoxicity against a variety of tumor cell lines including K562, Molt4 and some colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines.
Ishihara
S
S
Department of Research, The Japanese Red Cross Central Blood Center, Tokyo, Japan. i-sochan@kt.rim.or.jp
Nieda
M
M
Kitayama
J
J
Osada
T
T
Yabe
T
T
Ishikawa
Y
Y
Nagawa
H
H
Muto
T
T
Juji
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C527203:KLRB1 protein, human; C527211:Klrb1c protein, mouse; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic