The inhibition and activation cycles of the NK cells are mainly regulated by killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). In this study, we examined KIR genes/genotypes in kidney transplant recipients and healthy subjects. We aimed to determine if there are relations between certain KIR genes and allograft kidney function.
Renal transplantation patients (n=131) and healthy controls (n=183) from the same ethnic background were included. Transplant patients with an obvious cause of graft dysfunction (increase in serum creatinine and decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate) were excluded. Recruited patients were classified as graft dysfunction (GD) (n=38) or functioning graft (FG) (n=93) based on rejection and allograft dysfunction. Isolated DNA of all participants were typed for 16 KIR genes with specific primers using PCR. Patient groups were compared for KIR genes/genotypes and clinical features.
Significant differences were observed for KIR2DL3 and KIR3DL1 genes presented with higher frequencies in healthy controls than in kidney transplant recipients (p=0.001, p=0.006 respectively). Comparison between GD and FG groups revealed a protective association for the KIR2DL1 gene (p=0.003, OR=0.148).
KIR2DL1 gene was significantly more frequent in renal transplantation patients with FG. We suggest that the presence of KIR2DL1, which is an inhibitor gene for NK cell functions, might be associated with favorable graft function in kidney transplant recipients.

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