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The chemokines CCL11, CCL20, CCL21, and CCL24 are preferentially expressed in polarized human secondary lymphoid follicles
Author(s) -
Buri Caroline,
Gutersohn Andreas,
Hauser Chantal,
Kappeler Andreas,
Mueller Christoph
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1622
Subject(s) - ccl20 , chemokine , cxcl13 , ccl21 , ccl11 , c c chemokine receptor type 6 , cxcr5 , biology , eotaxin , microbiology and biotechnology , follicular dendritic cells , in situ hybridization , immunology , chemokine receptor , gene expression , t cell , inflammation , immune system , gene , antigen presenting cell , biochemistry
Chemokines regulate cellular trafficking to and from lymphoid follicles. Here, the distribution pattern of four CCL chemokines is defined by in situ hybridization in human lymphoid follicles from tonsils and lymph nodes (LNs) of newborns and adults. Cells expressing CCL11 (eotaxin) and CCL20 (Exodus) were preferentially located within follicles, while cells expressing CCL21 (secondary lymphoid‐tissue chemokine) and CCL24 (eotaxin‐2) mRNA were almost exclusively found in the perifollicular areas. Hence, the two CCR3‐binding chemokines, CCL11 and CCL24, showed a mutually exclusive expression pattern in the intra‐ and extra‐follicular areas, respectively. Chemokine gene expression paralleled follicular maturation: in tonsils, where approximately 80% of follicles are polarized, CCL11 and CCL20 mRNA‐positive cells were detected more frequently than in lymph nodes from adults, where about half of follicles are non‐polarized. No intrafollicular chemokine expression was detectable in the primary follicles from newborns. Extrafollicular cells expressing CCL21 and CCL24 were again more frequent in tonsils than in LNs from adults. The observed preferential presence of cells expressing CC chemokines in polarized human lymphoid follicles indicates that chemokines are not only instrumental in the induction of follicle formation, but may also be involved in their further differentiation. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.