Natural killer cells determine the outcome of B cell-mediated autoimmunity.
Natural killer (NK) cells can affect the outcome of adaptive immune responses. NK cells, but not NK1.1+T cells, were found to participate in the development of myasthenia gravis (a T cell-dependent, B cell- and antibody-mediated autoimmune disease) in C57BL/6 mice. The requirement for NK cells was reflected by the lack of a type I helper T cell response and antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor in both NK1.1+ cell-depleted and NK cell-deficient IL-18-/- mice. These findings establish a previously unrecognized link between NK cells and autoreactive T and B cells.
Shi
F D
FD
Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Wang
H B
HB
Li
H
H
Hong
S
S
Taniguchi
M
M
Link
H
H
Van Kaer
L
L
Ljunggren
H G
HG
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007178:Inbreeding; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014101:Torpedo; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma