title: HLA-DR- and CD11c-positive dendritic cells penetrate beyond well-developed epithelial tight junctions in human nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis.
abstract: The epithelial barrier of the upper respiratory tract plays a crucial role in host defense. In this study, to elucidate whether there is antigen monitoring by dendritic cells (DCs) beyond the epithelial tight-junction barrier in allergic rhinitis, we investigated the expression and function of tight junctions and characterized DCs in the epithelium of nasal mucosa from patients with allergic rhinitis. In reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, mRNAs of tight-junction proteins occludin, JAM-1, ZO-1, and claudin-1, -4, -7, -8, -12, -13, and -14 were detected in the nasal mucosa. Occludin, JAM-1, and ZO-1 were colocalized in the uppermost layer in the pseudostratified epithelium of the nasal mucosa, whereas claudin-1, -4, and -7 were found throughout the epithelium. In freeze-fracture replicas of the nasal mucosa, continuous tight-junction strands formed well-developed networks. Epithelial barrier function measured by a dye tracer was well maintained in occludin-positive tight junctions in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa. HLA-DR- and CD11c-positive DCs expressed claudin-1 and penetrated beyond occludin in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa with, but not without, allergic rhinitis. These results indicate that DCs may easily access antigens beyond epithelial tight junctions in the human nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Go
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichimiya
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himi
authors.forename: Norimasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018845:CD11 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D062445:Claudin-1; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology*; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018845:CD11 Antigens; C568108:CLDN1 protein, human; D062445:Claudin-1; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger