Premium
Epithelial dendritic cells in vagina rapidly renew from bone marrow precursors
Author(s) -
Iijima Norifumi,
Linehan Melissa M.,
Saeland Sem,
Iwasaki Akiko
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.851.7
Subject(s) - vagina , integrin alpha m , phenotype , immune system , biology , immunology , bone marrow , epithelium , oral mucosa , dendritic cell , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , biochemistry , genetics , gene
DCs represent key professional APCs capable of initiating primary immune responses. A specialized subset of DCs, the Langerhans cells (LCs), are located in the stratified squamous epithelial layer of the skin, and within the mucosal epithelial lining of the vaginal and oral cavities. The vaginal mucosa undergoes cyclic changes under the control of sex hormones, and the renewal and phenotypic characteristics of the vaginal epithelial DCs (VEDCs) remain unknown. Here, we examined the origin of VEDCs. In contrast to the skin epidermal LCs, the DCs in the epithelium of the vagina were found to be repopulated mainly by non‐monocyte bone marrow (BM)‐derived precursors, with a half‐life of 13 days under steady‐state conditions. Upon infection with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV‐2), the Gr‐1 hi monocytes were found to give rise to VEDCs. Further, flow cytometric analysis of the VEDCs revealed the presence of at least three distinct populations, namely, CD11b + F4/80 hi , CD11b + F4/80 int , and CD11b − F4/80 neg . Importantly, these VEDC populations expressed CD207 at low levels, and had a constitutively more activated phenotype compared to the skin LCs. Collectively, our results revealed mucosa‐specific features of the VEDCs with respect to their phenotype, activation status and homeostatic renewal potential.