Cytotoxic Function and Cytokine Production of Natural Killer Cells and Natural Killer T-Like Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosis Regulation with Interleukin-15.

Natural killer cells and NKT-like cells are the first line immune defense against tumor and virus infection. Deficient NK and NKT-like cell effector function may contribute to increased susceptibility to infection in SLE patients. We sought to examine the perforin and granzyme B expression, interferon-gamma (IFN-), and tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) production and CD107a degranulation of NK and NKT-like cells from SLE patients and their regulation by IL-15. We established that (1) perforin expression on SLE NK cells was decreased but unrelated to disease activity; (2) the MFI of granzyme B was increased in NK cells from SLE patients with active disease, associated with increased percentages of granzyme B CD56 NK cells; (3) NK cells from active SLE patients, both CD56 and CD56 NK subsets, produced higher IFN- compared to controls; (4) CD56, but not CD56 NK cells from active SLE patients, produced lower TNF-, compared to inactive SLE patients and controls; (5) CD107a degranulation of SLE NK cells was comparable to controls; (6) IL-15 enhanced perforin/granzyme B expression, IFN-/TNF- production, and CD107a degranulation of NK cells from SLE patients; and (7) similar observations were found for CD56CD3 NKT-like cells. Taken together, we demonstrated the differential expression of the heightened granzyme B and decreased TNF- in NK and NKT-like cells in SLE patients. Higher granzyme B expression of NK and NKT-like cells in active SLE patients, further enhanced by circulating IL-15, may contribute to the maintenance of inflammation in SLE.