KIR gene variability in cutaneous malignant melanoma: influence of KIR2D/HLA-C pairings on disease susceptibility and prognosis.

Natural killer and CD8(+) T cells are believed to be involved in the immune protection against melanoma. Their function may be regulated by a group of receptors defined as killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their cognate HLA class I ligands. In this study, we analyzed the influence of KIR genes and KIR/HLA-I combinations on melanoma susceptibility and/or prognosis in a Spanish Caucasian population.

Post-transplant soluble MICA and MICA antibodies predict subsequent heart graft outcome.

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the role of MICA in heart graft acceptance. Pre- and post-transplant sera from 31 patients were evaluated for MICA antibodies by cytotoxicity on recombinant cell lines and soluble MICA (sMICA) concentrations by ELISA. The results demonstrated that the patients with post-transplant anti-MICA antibodies were at a high risk for the development of severe acute rejection (AR) (p<0.