title: Hypothetical soluble KIR2DS4 natural killer cell receptor molecule does not associate with successful ageing in the Irish.
abstract: The identification of immunogenetic longevity markers is a major area of molecular gerontological research. A number of genetic loci have been examined, e.g. the HLA and cytokine networks. This study investigated a genetic marker within the highly polymorphic KIR gene system with successful ageing in the Irish population. A 22 bp deletion was identified in the KIR2DS4 gene that predicts a truncated soluble KIR molecule with one intact Ig-like domain. The frequency of this variant was determined using a specific-primer PCR methodology. There was no observed association between this common polymorphic variation within this activatory KIR gene and the aged Irish population. This is the first study of KIR polymorphism in ageing and although no association was identified, the importance of the KIR network in the immune response and its polymorphic nature warrants more detailed analysis to ascertain its role in immunosenescence.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology and Biochemistry, Queens University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, and Northern Ireland Regional Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory, City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. owenaross@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Owen A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Lynn D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: I Maeve
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009660:Northern Ireland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C473953:KIR2DS4 protein, human; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D054340:Receptors, KIR