Diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in uveitis associated with autoimmune diseases: ankylosing spondylitis and Behçet disease.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the frequencies of specific killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genotypes are associated with the incidence of uveitis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Behçet disease (BD).

METHODS: The authors analyzed the frequency of 16 KIR genes in Koreans with either AS (110 patients, all HLA-B27-positive) or BD (86 patients), using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide probing.

RESULTS: The frequency of the inhibitory receptor KIR3DL1 was lower in AS patients affected by uveitis than that in the general population (p < 0.05). The frequency of the KIR3DL1(-)/2DS3(-) was significantly higher in AS patients with uveitis (odds ratio = 9.306, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that KIR3DL1 might associate with the resistance to AS-associated uveitis by influencing natural killer cell activity.