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Menopausal status influences the expression of programmed death ( PD )‐1 and its ligand PD ‐L1 on immune cells from the human female reproductive tract
Author(s) -
Shen Zheng,
RodriguezGarcia Marta,
Patel Mickey V.,
Barr Fiona D.,
Wira Charles R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/aji.12532
Subject(s) - immune system , pd l1 , biology , hormone , receptor , medicine , immunology , endocrinology , immunotherapy
Problem The programmed death 1 ( PD ‐1)/ PD ‐L1 pathway regulates peripheral tolerance, immune responses, and is up‐regulated in chronic viral infections, including HIV infection. However, expression of PD ‐1/ PD ‐L1 on immune cells from the human female reproductive tract ( FRT ) and possible regulation by menopause and sex hormones are poorly understood. Method of study PD ‐1/ PD ‐L1 expression was analyzed on CD 4 + and CD 8 + T cells, CD 163 + macrophages, and CD 11c + dendritic cells ( DC ) from endometrium ( EM ), endocervix ( CX ) and ectocervix ( ECX ). Expression after hormone treatment in culture was also evaluated. Results PD ‐1 and PD ‐L1 were constitutively expressed on CD 4 + and CD 8 + T cells from the FRT . PD ‐L1 + CD 4 + T cells were increased in CX compared to EM and ECX , while no differences were found for PD ‐1 or between CD 8 + T cells from different sites. Macrophages and DC s constitutively expressed PD ‐L1, but not PD ‐1, with no differences observed between FRT sites. Pre‐menopausal FRT tissues showed increased PD ‐L1 expression on CD 8 + T cells, but decreased expression on DC s when compared to post‐menopausal women. In vitro estradiol treatment up‐regulated PD ‐L1 expression specifically on CD 8 + T cells from CX , but had no effect on PD ‐1/ PD ‐L1 expression on the other cell types. Conclusion Our results suggest that PD ‐L1 may be involved in the differential regulation of FRT immune responses between pre‐menopausal and post‐menopausal women.