The Innate Immune Cross Talk between NK Cells and Eosinophils Is Regulated by the Interaction of Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors with Eosinophil Surface Ligands

• Previous studies suggested that the cross talk between NK cells and other cell types is crucial for the regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. In the present study, we analyzed the phenotypic and functional outcome of the interaction between resting or cytokine-activated NK cells and eosinophils derived from non-atopic donors. Our results provide the first evidence that a natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR)/NCR ligand-dependent cross talk between NK cells and eosinophils may be important to upregulate the activation state and the effector function of cytokine-primed NK cells. This interaction also promotes the NK-mediated editing process of dendritic cells that influence the process of Th1 polarization. In turn, this cross talk also resulted in eosinophil activation and acquisition of the characteristic features of antigen-presenting cells. At higher NK/eosinophil ratios, cytokine-primed NK cells were found to kill eosinophils via NKp46 and NKp30, thus suggesting a potential immunoregulatory role for NK cells in dampening inflammatory responses involving eosinophils.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Keyword

NK cells

eosinophils

dendritic cells

natural cytotoxicity receptor

cross talk

innate cells

cytotoxicity

antigen-presenting cells

colony-stimulating factor

class-i molecules

killer-cells

dendritic cells

blood eosinophils

nkp30 receptor

irp60

cd300a

tumor-cells

lymph-nodes

Immunology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)