KIRCD8 T cells suppress pathogenic T cells and are active in autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

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Science. 2022 Jul;376(6590):eabi9591. doi: 10.1126/science.abi9591

KIRCD8 T cells suppress pathogenic T cells and are active in autoimmune diseases and COVID-19. Li Lab

Li J, Zaslavsky M, Su Y, Guo J, Sikora MJ, van Unen V, Christophersen A, Chiou S, Chen L, Li J, Ji X, Wilhelmy J, McSween AM, Palanski BA, Mallajosyula VV, Bracey NA, Dhondalay GK, Bhamidipati K, Pai J, Kipp LB, Dunn JE, Hauser SL, Oksenberg JR, Satpathy AT, Robinson WH, Dekker CL, Steinmetz LM, Khosla C, Utz PJ, Sollid LM, Chien Y, Heath JR, Fernandez-Becker NQ, Nadeau KC, Saligrama N, Davis MM

Note: Research in this publication was not performed at Janelia.

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Abstract

In this work, we find that CD8 T cells expressing inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the human equivalent of Ly49CD8 regulatory T cells in mice and are increased in the blood and inflamed tissues of patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases. Moreover, these CD8 T cells efficiently eliminated pathogenic gliadin-specific CD4 T cells from the leukocytes of celiac disease patients in vitro. We also find elevated levels of KIRCD8 T cells, but not CD4 regulatory T cells, in COVID-19 patients, correlating with disease severity and vasculitis. Selective ablation of Ly49CD8 T cells in virus-infected mice led to autoimmunity after infection. Our results indicate that in both species, these regulatory CD8 T cells act specifically to suppress pathogenic T cells in autoimmune and infectious diseases.

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KIRCD8 T cells suppress pathogenic T cells and are active in autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Note: Research in this publication was not performed at Janelia.

Abstract

PMID: 35258337 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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