TY - JOUR
T1 - Natural Killer Cell Receptors and Endometriosis
T2 - A Systematic Review
AU - Reis, José Lourenço
AU - Rosa, Natacha Nurdine
AU - Ângelo-Dias, Miguel
AU - Martins, Catarina
AU - Borrego, Luís Miguel
AU - Lima, Jorge
N1 - Funding: This work in the context of the “Women’s Health and Maternal & Fetal Research Group” was partially co-financed by Hospital da Luz Lisboa under the initiative “Luz Investigação”.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder, characterized by the presence of endometrial cells outside the uterine cavity. An increasing number of studies correlate the immune system with endometriosis, particularly NK receptors (NKR), which have been suggested to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. This systematic review aims to enlighten the role of NKR in endometriosis. A literature search was performed independently by two reviewers, to identify studies assessing the role of NKR in endometriosis. In total, 18 studies were included. Endometriosis pathogenesis seems to be marked by the overexpression of NK inhibitor receptors (KIRS), namely, CD158a+, KIR2DL1, CD94/NKG2A, PD-1, NKB1, and EB6, and inhibiting ligands such as PD-L1, HLA-E, HLA-G, and HLA-I. Concurrently, there is a decrease in NK-activating receptors and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs), such as NKp46, NKp30, and NKG2D. The immune shift from NK surveillance to NK suppression is also apparent in the greater relative number of ITIM domains compared with ITAM domains in NKRs. In conclusion, NK receptor activity seems to dictate the immunocompetency of women to clear endometriotic cells from the peritoneal cavity. Future research could explore NKRs as therapeutic targets, such as that which is now well established in cancer therapy through immunotherapy.
AB - Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder, characterized by the presence of endometrial cells outside the uterine cavity. An increasing number of studies correlate the immune system with endometriosis, particularly NK receptors (NKR), which have been suggested to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. This systematic review aims to enlighten the role of NKR in endometriosis. A literature search was performed independently by two reviewers, to identify studies assessing the role of NKR in endometriosis. In total, 18 studies were included. Endometriosis pathogenesis seems to be marked by the overexpression of NK inhibitor receptors (KIRS), namely, CD158a+, KIR2DL1, CD94/NKG2A, PD-1, NKB1, and EB6, and inhibiting ligands such as PD-L1, HLA-E, HLA-G, and HLA-I. Concurrently, there is a decrease in NK-activating receptors and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs), such as NKp46, NKp30, and NKG2D. The immune shift from NK surveillance to NK suppression is also apparent in the greater relative number of ITIM domains compared with ITAM domains in NKRs. In conclusion, NK receptor activity seems to dictate the immunocompetency of women to clear endometriotic cells from the peritoneal cavity. Future research could explore NKRs as therapeutic targets, such as that which is now well established in cancer therapy through immunotherapy.
KW - ectopic endometrium
KW - endometrioma
KW - endometriosis
KW - immune dysfunction
KW - natural killer cells (NK cells)
KW - NK inhibition
KW - NK receptors
KW - NK suppression
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145973640&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijms24010331
DO - 10.3390/ijms24010331
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36613776
AN - SCOPUS:85145973640
SN - 1422-0067
VL - 24
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
IS - 1
M1 - 331
ER -
