title: A novel approach for quantification of KIR expression in healthy donors and pediatric recipients of hematopoietic SCTs.
abstract: The killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) expression repertoire may offer valuable information for hematopoietic SCT (HSCT). We designed a quantitative KIR RNAtype assay and used it to determine KIR gene expression in healthy donors and patients before HSCT. The specificity of the assay was ensured by specific primers and by electrophoretic distinction of PCR products of unique length. In 87 healthy donors, the KIR repertoire was broadly distributed (32 categories of profiles). There was an overall trend toward inverse correlation of KIR expression level and donor age. Age affected mainly the activating KIR families. Leukemia patients showed lower KIR expression before transplantation than healthy donors. Stem cell mobilization caused a transient increase of KIR expression. We conclude that KIR expression differs quantitatively with age and primary disease and is transiently altered by stem cell recruitment and selection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Barfield
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kasow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Handgretinger
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR