The Role of Natural Killer Cells in Autoimmune Blistering Diseases

This paper explored the role of natural killer (NK) cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune blistering diseases, with a focus on pemphigus vulgaris (PV). It was found that CD4+ T cells from patients with active PV proliferated and secreted cytokines when exposed to NK cells expressing major histocompatibility class II loaded with desmoglein peptides. Additionally, NK cells were shown to contribute to a T helper type 2-biased immune response through impaired IL-12 signaling and increased IL-10 and IL-5. Although data on other blistering diseases were limited, NK cells were implicated in disease progression, as seen in psoriasis and alopecia areata. The review emphasized the importance of NK and NKT cells in the pathogenesis of blistering and other autoimmune skin diseases, advocating for further research into their interactions with the skin.