Human NK Cells Lyse Organ-Specific Endothelial Cells: Analysis of Adhesion and Cytotoxic Mechanisms

Human organ-specific microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) were established and used in the present study to investigate their susceptibility to natural killer cell line (NKL)-induced lysis. Our data indicate that although IL-2-stimulated NKL (NKL2) cells adhered to the human peripheral (HPLNEC.B3), mesenteric lymph node (HMLNEC), brain (HBrMEC), and lung (HLMEC) and skin (HSkMEC.2) ECs, they significantly killed these cells quite differently. A more pronounced lysis of OSECs was also observed when IL-2-stimulated, purified peripheral blood NK cells were used as effector cells. In line with the correlation observed between adhesion pattern and the susceptibility to NKL2-mediated killing, we demonstrated using different chelators that the necessary adhesion step was governed by an Mg(2+)-dependent, but Ca(2+)-independent, mechanism as opposed to the subsequent Ca(2+)-dependent killing. To identify the cytotoxic pathway used by NKL2 cells, the involvement of the classical and alternate pathways was examined. Blocking of the Ca(2+)-dependent cytotoxicity pathway by EGTA/MgCl(2) significantly inhibited endothelial target cell killing, suggesting a predominant role for the perforin/granzyme pathway. Furthermore, using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that the interaction between NKL2 effectors and ECs induced cytochrome c release and Bid translocation in target cells, indicating an involvement of the mitochondrial pathway in NKL2-induced EC death. In addition, although all tested cells were sensitive to the cytotoxic action of TNF, no susceptibility to TRAIL or anti-Fas mAb was observed. The present studies emphasize that human NK cell cytotoxicity toward ECs may be a potential target to block vascular injury.