Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal: Cells

Volume number: 10

Issue number: 10

eISSN: 2073-4409

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10102551

Publisher: MDPI

Abstract: 
Background: Pulmonary affection (PA) is associated with a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). However, the underlying immune mechanisms of PA remain enigmatic and prompt deeper immunological analyses. Importantly, the Janus-faced role of natural killer (NK) cells, capable of pro-inflammatory as well as regulatory effects, might be of interest for the pathophysiologic understanding of PA in IIM. Methods: To extend our understanding of immunological alterations in IIM patients with PA, we compared the signatures of NK cells in peripheral blood using multi-color flow cytometry in IIM patients with (n = 12, of which anti-synthetase syndrome = 8 and dermatomyositis = 4) or without PA (n = 12). Results: We did not observe any significant differences for B cells, CD4, and CD8 T cells, while total NK cell numbers in IIM patients with PA were reduced compared to non-PA patients. NK cell alterations were driven by a particular decrease of CD56(dim) NK cells, while CD56(bright) NK cells remained unchanged. Comparisons of the cell surface expression of a large panel of NK receptors revealed an increased mean fluorescence intensity of NKG2D(+) on NK cells from patients with PA compared with non-PA patients, especially on the CD56(dim) subset. NKG2D(+) and NKp46(+) cell surface levels were associated with reduced vital capacity, serving as a surrogate marker for clinical severity of PA. Conclusion: Our data illustrate that PA in IIM is associated with alterations of the NK cell repertoire, suggesting a relevant contribution of NK cells in certain IIMs, which might pave the way for NK cell-targeted therapeutic approaches.

Harvard Citation style: Pawlitzki, M., Nelke, C., Rolfes, L., Hasseli, R., Tomaras, S., Feist, E., et al. (2021) NK Cell Patterns in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies with Pulmonary Affection, Cells, 10(10), Article 2551. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10102551

APA Citation style: Pawlitzki, M., Nelke, C., Rolfes, L., Hasseli, R., Tomaras, S., Feist, E., Schaenzer, A., Raeuber, S., Regner, L., Preusse, C., Allenbach, Y., Benveniste, O., Wiendl, H., Stenzel, W., Meuth, S., & Ruck, T. (2021). NK Cell Patterns in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies with Pulmonary Affection. Cells. 10(10), Article 2551. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10102551