title: Natural Killer Cell Subsets and Their Functional Activity in Behçet's Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare, chronic autoinflammatory disorder of unknown origin. Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the major immunoregulatory cell groups of the innate immune system, but their role in BD pathogenesis is not well documented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the role of NK cell subsets and their cytokine secretion and cytotoxic activity in patients with BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of BD patients who had only mucocutaneous involvement, and they were compared with healthy subjects. BD patients were divided into two groups according to their frequencies of oral ulcerations. NK cell cytotoxicity was determined using CD107a expression and a CFSE-based cytotoxicity test. Expression of NK cell receptors and surface markers and the intracellular IL-5, IL-10, IL-17, and IFN-γ levels in CD16+NK cells were assessed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the cytokine secretion pattern was different, no difference was obtained in cytotoxic activity, expression of activatory receptors, or degranulation of NK cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increases in NK1/NK2 ratio and CD16+IFN-γ+NK1 cells might support the idea of a biased IFN-γ dominant immune response in the mucocutaneous involvement of BD pathogenesis. Although the cytokine secretion pattern was different, no difference was obtained in cytotoxic activity, expression of activatory receptors, or degranulation of NK cells.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Bahcesehir University , Istanbul , Turkey.|b Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Kocaeli University , Kocaeli , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fulya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cosan
authors.affiliation: c Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine (Aziz Sancar DETAE), Department of Immunology , Istanbul University , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aktas Cetin
authors.affiliation: c Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine (Aziz Sancar DETAE), Department of Immunology , Istanbul University , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
authors.affiliation: d Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine (Aziz Sancar DETAE), Department of Genetics , Istanbul University , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeliha
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Emrence
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Kocaeli University , Kocaeli , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cefle
authors.affiliation: c Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine (Aziz Sancar DETAE), Department of Immunology , Istanbul University , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Gunnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deniz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D052118:Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000276:immunology*; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052118:Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Behçet’s disease; NK1 cells; NK2 cells; cytokines; cytotoxic activity; natural killer cells