ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes, KIR2DS4 and its variant KIR1D for an association with syphilis in the comparison between syphilis patients and unrelated healthy subjects. Methods One hundred and ninety syphilis patients and 192 unrelated healthy subjects were performed to determine the KIR genotypes by PCR-SSP method. The gene frequencies of KIR2DS4 and KIR1D were analyzed for an association with syphilis in the patients and healthy people who belonged to KIR gene haplotype A. Results Of 192 healthy individuals, 187 were identified with a KIR2DS4 gene. And 91 individuals were classified as homozygous haplotype A with the percent of 48.7% (91/187) in 187 KIR2DS4 positive individuals. Of 190 syphilis patients, 181 were identified with a KIR2DS4 gene. And 89 individuals were classified as homozygous haplotype A with the percent of 49.2% (89/181) in 181 KIR2DS4 positive individuals. The frequency of KIR1D/KIR1D in syphilis patients classified as haplotype A was 16.9%, and was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.6%, P=0.032). However, there was no significant difference for the frequencies of KIR2DS4/KIR2DS4 and KIR2DS4/KIR1D between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion KIR1D/KIR1D might be associated with syphilis in the comparison between syphilis patients and unrelated healthy controls who were classified as homozygous haplotype A.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a multifactorial autoimmune skin disease with a pathogenesis that has remained obscure. Recently, T cells bearing natural killer receptors (NKRs) were precisely and strongly targeted as new putative pathogenic immunocytes in psoriasis. Among NKRs, killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) is the major molecule recognizing HLA class I allotypes and might be closely related to psoriasis. METHODS: To investigate the association of KIR genotype and patients with psoriasis in Korean, we defined the 14 KIR genotypes in 96 patients with psoriasis and 86 healthy controls using PCR-SSP methods. RESULTS: The frequencies of KIR2DS4 and KIR3DL1 were significantly decreased in psoriasis compared with controls (RR=0.21, p or =30 years) respectively, these phenomena were similarly observed independent of groups divided (type I: RR=0.26, p<0.005; type II: RR=0.14, p<0.0006). When the patients were divided into subgroups according to the age of onset and family history, the frequencies of KIR2DS4, KIR3DL1, and KIR2DS3 were significantly decreased in type I compared with type II psoriasis (3DL1, 2DS4: p<0.004; 2DS3: p<0.04) and were significantly decreased in psoriasis without family history compared to with family history (3DL1, 2DS4: p<0.007; 2DS3: p<0.05). The frequency of haplotype combination BB was significantly increased in psoriasis compared with controls (RR=2.74, p<0.009). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that KIR genotype is a factor for the occurrence and development of psoriasis and in future how combinations of HLA and KIR genes influence psoriasis needs to be defined.