Resident CD4+ alpha beta T cells of the murine female genital tract: a phenotypically distinct T cell lineage that rapidly proliferates in response to systemic T cell activation stimuli.
A population of CD4+ cells has been identified in the murine female genital tract (FGT). Phenotypic studies of FGT CD4+ cells demonstrate that they express CD3 and that the majority of these cells are alpha beta TCR+Thy-1+. Most of the Thy-1+CD4+alpha beta TCR+ cells resemble memory T cells based on their expression of CD44, L-selectin and CD45RB antigens. The vast majority of Thy-1+CD4+alpha beta TCR+ FGT cells are CD5+ and all of them are B220-. Systemic stimuli including infection with Trypanosoma brucei brucei, injection with anti-CD3 epsilon, or bacterial superantigens staphylococcal enterotoxin A or B cause a rapid accumulation of CD4+ cells in the FGT exceeding that observed for CD4+ cells in spleen and lymph nodes (LN). Expansion of the FGT CD4+ cells, which are phenotypically distinct from the splenic and LN CD4+ T cells, is due to local proliferation rather than an influx of cells from the circulation. The CD4+ population in the FGT of adult nu/nu mice is dramatically reduced, indicating its thymic dependency. In lpr/lpr mice, FGT CD4 cells do not display changes characteristic of splenic or LN CD4 cells in the same animals. These findings demonstrate that the CD4+ cells of the murine FGT are thymic dependent, but that they constitute a T cell lineage that phenotypically and, probably functionally, is distinct from other peripheral CD4+ T cell populations.
Ibraghimov
A R
AR
Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Sacco
R E
RE
Sandor
M
M
Iakoubov
L Z
LZ
Lynch
R G
RG
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D018089:Superantigens