Upregulation of Fas and downregulation of CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptors on circulating natural killer cells in patients with new-onset psoriasis.
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis has been considered as a T-helper 1 cell-mediated autoimmune disease driven by collaboration with multiple components of innate and acquired immune cells. Natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to bridge innate and acquired immunity, and thus could potentially contribute to the pathophysiology of psoriasis.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the phenotypic changes of circulating NK cells in patients with new-onset psoriasis.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with plaque psoriasis (eight women and seven men) who visited our clinic after their first episode of psoriasis and did not have a history of previous systemic therapy or phototherapy participated in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and stained with a panel of antibodies against cell surface receptors expressed on T and/or NK cells and analysed by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
As compared with normal healthy volunteers, patients with new-onset psoriasis showed no significant changes in numbers of peripheral NK, NK-T or T cells. NK activating receptors 2B4, CD48, NKG2D, CD16 and CD56 were found to be unchanged in new-onset psoriasis. However, the expression of Fas (activation-induced death receptor) was upregulated, whereas the expression of the NK inhibitory receptors CD94 and NKG2A was dramatically reduced on NK cells of new-onset psoriasis. These changes occurred at the level of mean fluorescent intensity, but minimally affected percentages of cells expressing Fas, CD94 and NKG2A.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate that changes in the expression of Fas and CD94/NKG2A receptors on NK cells may occur during new-onset psoriasis, and are likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Dermatology, and Division of Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
S W
SW
Son
E-O
EO
Kim
E S
ES
Ryu
T-J
TJ
Kim
J N
JN
Kim
J E
JE
Choi
Y C
YC
Kye
K-M
KM
Lee
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C / Q000378:metabolism*; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D / Q000378:metabolism*; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; D019014:fas Receptor