Abstract
Aim Natural Killer cells are potent anti-tumor immune cells. Their function is regulated by the repertoire of various receptors. The Killer cell Immunoglobulin like receptors (KIR) of NK cells are crucial players in the NK cell response. The present study aimed to identify if any differences in the KIR genetic makeup among healthy individuals and breast cancer patients thereby correlating its association with the disease. Methods We characterized a total of 324 females (94 breast cancer patients, 133 benign breast disorder patients and 97 ethnically matched healthy women) from Government Theni Medical College and Hospital, India for their KIR gene distribution by duplex SSP. Unusual KIR genotypes were further confirmed by One Lambda rSSO method. Comparisons were made by two-tailed Fisher’s exact probabilities (p), with p Results The individuals having 5 or more activating KIR genes are significantly lower in breast cancer group compared to age-matched women controls (24% vs. 38%; p Conclusions These results suggest that individuals with more activating KIR genes are significantly protected from breast cancer. Aggressive response triggered via activating KIRs may direct an effective anti-tumor response of NK cells and able to prevent the development of breast cancer. Further studies on HLA class I ligands are essential to understand the role of KIR-HLA interactions in breast cancer pathogenesis. Download : Download high-res image (304KB) Download : Download full-size image
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