Cutting edge: contribution of NK cells to the homing of thymic CD4+NKT cells to the liver.
In contrast to peripheral lymphoid organs, in the liver a high proportion of T cells are CD4+NKT cells. We have previously reported that LFA-1 plays a pivotal role in the homing of thymic CD4+NKT cells to the liver. In the present study, we further assessed which cell type participates in the homing of thymic CD4+NKT cells to the liver. The accumulation of donor thymocyte-derived CD4+NKT cells in the liver of SCID mice that had been reconstituted with thymocytes from C57BL/6 mice was severely impaired by in vivo depletion of NK cells, but not Kupffer cells in recipients. These results suggest that NK cells participate in the homing of thymic CD4+NKT cells to the liver. We assume that LFA-1 expressed on NK cells is involved in this mechanism.
Miyamoto
M
M
Department of Immunology, Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
Emoto
M
M
Brinkmann
V
V
van Rooijen
N
N
Schmits
R
R
Kita
E
E
Kaufmann
S H
SH
D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D016513:Mice, SCID; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1