title: Association of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genotypes with susceptibility to endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endometriosis is an immune-related chronic inflammatory disease with a polygenic predisposition. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) is responsible, in part, for genetic susceptibility to endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The KIRs genotype was determined in 186 patients with endometriosis and 165 control women using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of KIR3DS1 was significantly decreased in patients compared with controls (32% versus 44%, P=0.028). KIR data were analyzed using a model comprised of three large groups, in which a gradient of activation/inhibitory potential derived from the combination of KIR and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligand genes was taken into account. The frequency of inhibitory KIRs/HLA-class I combination genotypes was significantly higher in patients than in controls (chi2=6.010, 2 df, P=0.0496).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that polymorphism in KIRs may be associated with susceptibility for endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan. kitawaki@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitawaki
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Goji
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Obayashi
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honjo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR