Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells can affect the outcome of adaptive immune responses. NK cells, but not NK1.1+T cells, were found to participate in the development of myasthenia gravis (a T cell-dependent, B cell- and antibody-mediated autoimmune disease) in C57BL/6 mice. The requirement for NK cells was reflected by the lack of a type I helper T cell response and antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor in both NK1.1+ cell-depleted and NK cell-deficient IL-18-/- mice. These findings establish a previously unrecognized link between NK cells and autoreactive T and B cells.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Antibody Formation / immunology
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Autoantibodies / immunology
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Autoimmunity / immunology*
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B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
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Female
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Immunization
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Inbreeding
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Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
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Interferon-gamma / immunology
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Interleukin-8 / genetics
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Interleukin-8 / immunology
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Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
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Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology
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Receptors, Nicotinic / immunology
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T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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Torpedo
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Transforming Growth Factor beta / biosynthesis
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Transforming Growth Factor beta / immunology
Substances
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Autoantibodies
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Interleukin-8
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Receptors, Nicotinic
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Transforming Growth Factor beta
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Interferon-gamma