Key messages
  1. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients, particularly articular patients, harbor more CD4+NKG2D+ T cells.
  2. Natural-killer group 2 member D receptor directly regulates differentiation of T cells by inducing Th1 and Th17, and decreasing Treg and Th2.
  3. Natural-killer group 2 member D receptor indirectly decreases IL-10 and increases CD83, ligands of MICA, and MICB by dendritic cells.