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Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors

Research Leader:

Dr. Roberto Díaz Peña

Institution:

Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Roberto Díaz Peña, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela.

COLLABORATORS

• Rafael de Cid, PhD. GCAT Chief Scientist, Genomes for Life-GCAT Lab, IGTP, Badalona, Spain 
• Beatriz Cortés, PhD student. Genomes for Life-GCAT Lab, IGTP, Badalona, Spain

INSTITUTIONS

• Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)
• Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Catalonia

SUMMARY

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), act as the regulators for the cytolytic activity of natural killer (NK) and certain T cells by interacting with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. KIRs have been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. In this study, we want to analyze the distribution of KIR genes frequencies and the HLA class I and II alleles frequencies in different autoimmune diseases in the population of Catalonia.

Given the role of KIR in both arms of the immune response, their specificity for HLA class I allotypes, and their extensive genomic diversity, we hypothesize that KIR gene variation affects resistance and susceptibility to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases

OBJECTIVES

1. To study the frequencies of KIR genes in the Catalonian population
2. To study the frequencies of HLA class I and II alleles in the Catalonian population.
3. To investigate the distribution of KIR genes frequencies and the HLA class I and II alleles frequencies in different autoimmune diseases in the population of Catalonia.

To analyze the possible association of specific KIR genes and KIR/HLA genotypes with the susceptibility to psoriasis in the population of Catalonia.