title: KIR genes and HLA class I ligands in a Caucasian Brazilian population with colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) can occur anywhere in the colon or rectum and represents the third most common cancer in the world in both sexes. Natural killer cells (NK) are part of the innate immune system recognizing class I HLA molecules on target cells through their membrane receptors, called killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between the KIR genes and HLA ligands in patients with colorectal cancer and healthy controls. We examined the polymorphism of 16 KIR genes and their HLA ligands in 154 caucasoid CRC patients and 216 controls. When both groups were compared, no significant differences were found for HLA ligands and KIR genes after Bonferroni correction. However, the Bx haplotypes (heterozygous and homozygous for the haplotype B) were more frequent in controls, when compared with patients. These findings suggest that individuals with Bx haplotypes could have some protection to colorectal cancer. The hypothesis is not related with the presence of a special KIR gene and HLA ligand related to the disease, but to the presence of several activating genes in the individuals with no better action of one in relation to other. Further studies to confirm this observation are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: pportelas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pâmela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Portela
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lindenau
authors.affiliation: Division of Coloproctology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Damin
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Timothy John
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roesler
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwartsmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Jobim
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jobim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D008024:Ligands; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D054340:Receptors, KIR
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Human leukocyte antigen; Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor; Natural killer cell