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Cutting Edge: Selective Expression of Inhibitory or Activating Killer Cell Ig-Like Receptors in Circulating CD4⁺ T Lymphocytes¹

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 841, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, Department of Immunology, Oncology and Dermatology, Créteil, France

Apart from NK cells, TCR and CD8⁺ T cells, killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) expression was described on a minor subset of CD4⁺ T cells. However, their functions remain to be elucidated in this latter lymphocyte population. We demonstrated that KIR2DL2/L3 (CD158b) and KIR2DS2 (CD158j) transcripts were synthesized by sorted CD4⁺CD158b/j⁺ T cells obtained from healthy individuals. In contrast, we observed that only the inhibitory or activating receptor was expressed at the cell surface according to the donor tested. In CD158b-expressing cells, KIR triggering leads to an inhibition of the CD3-induced cell proliferation and Erk activation, and the receptor exhibits an activation-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation and association with the Src homology 2-containing phosphatase 1. In CD158j-positive cells, KIR-engagement results in an enhanced CD3-mediated cell growth and Erk phosphorylation. Our results suggested that, in contrast to NK cells, the functions of KIR in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes might derive from a selective expression of their activating or inhibiting forms.

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

¹ This work was supported by grants from the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale and Paris XII University.

² Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Armand Bensussan, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 841 Equipe 02, Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, 8 Rue du Général Sarrail, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France. E-mail address: armand.bensussan{at}creteil.inserm.fr

³ A.B and A.M.-C. are co-senior authors.

⁴ Abbreviations used in this paper: KIR, killer-cell immunoglobulin like receptor; ACS, acute coronary syndrome; KIR-L, KIR (long) inhibitory form; KIR-S, KIR (short) activating form; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SHP-1, Src homology 2-containing phosphatase 1; SS, Sézary syndrome.