Translation of Basic Research into Clinics: Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors Genes in Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases.

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors regulate the activation of natural killer cells through their interaction with human leucocyte antigens. Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors and human leucocyte antigens loci are highly polymorphic, and some their combinations have been found to protect against viral infections or to predispose to autoimmune disorders. In particular, some activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptors profiles may be detrimental in autoimmune pathogenesis, and specific killer immunoglobulin-like receptors genes may be particularly aggressive in the clearance of different microorganisms, protecting individuals in the control of a given pathogen. So, considering the role of the innate immunity in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and infection diseases, the recent development for killer immunoglobulin-like receptors characterization, diseases monitoring, and treatment becomes obvious. Here we reviewed a growing body of evidence supporting the influence of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor variants and their interaction with the ligand in the development of the main human autoimmune and viral diseases, highlighting the main applications in clinical practises.