title: Expression of inhibitory-motif killer immunoglobulin-like receptor, KIR2DL1, is increased in natural killer cells from women with pelvic endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated inhibitory and activation motif expression of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) by natural killer (NK) cells, which may be pathogenetically involved in endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared cells from 24 Japanese women laparoscopically diagnosed with endometriosis, to cells from 25 women with other laparoscopic diagnoses. KIR expression by NK cells was assessed in peripheral blood (PB) and peritoneal fluid (PF) by flow cytometry. Intracellular immunoreceptor tyrosine-based (IT) inhibitory and activation motifs (ITIM and ITAM) of KIR in PB was assessed by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ITIM-KIR expression by PB NK cells was significantly and similarly greater than ITAM-KIR expression in women with and without endometriosis. Percentages of CD56(+) NK cells in PB and PF did not differ significantly between women with and without endometriosis; however, the percentage of CD158a(+) cells among CD56(+) NK cells in PB and PF was significantly higher in women with than without endometriosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ITIM-KIR expressing NK cells might confer tolerance to peritoneal endometriotic implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Nagamasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Izumiya
authors.forename: Chika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukaya
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1
chemical_list: C093100:KIR2DL1 protein, human; C496212:KIR2DS1 protein, human; C433932:KIR2DS2 protein, human; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1