Human cerebrospinal fluid contains CD4+ memory T cells expressing gut- or skin-specific trafficking determinants: relevance for immunotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Circulating memory T cells can be divided into tissue-specific subsets, which traffic through distinct tissue compartments during physiologic immune surveillance, based on their expression of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors. We reasoned that a bias (either enrichment or depletion) of CSF T cell expression of known organ-specific trafficking determinants might suggest that homing of T cells to the subarachnoid space could be governed by a CNS-specific adhesion molecule or chemokine receptor.


RESULTS
The expression of cutaneous leukocyte antigen (CLA) and CC-chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4; associated with skin-homing) as well as the expression of integrin alpha4beta7 and CCR9 (associated with gut-homing) was analyzed on CD4+ memory T cells in CSF from individuals with non-inflammatory neurological diseases using flow cytometry. CSF contained similar proportions of CD4+ memory T cells expressing CLA, CCR4, integrin alpha4beta7 and CCR9 as paired blood samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The results extend our previous findings that antigen-experienced CD4+ memory T cells traffic through the CSF in proportion to their abundance in the peripheral circulation. Furthermore, the ready access of skin- and gut-homing CD4+ memory T cells to the CNS compartment via CSF has implications for the mechanisms of action of immunotherapeutic strategies, such as oral tolerance or therapeutic immunization, where immunogens are administered using an oral or subcutaneous route.
Kivisäkk
Pia
P
Neuroinflammation Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. pkivisakk@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Tucky
Barbara
B
Wei
Tao
T
Campbell
James J
JJ
Ransohoff
Richard M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009928:Organ Specificity; D054388:Receptors, CCR; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C119309:CC chemokine receptor 9; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; C063419:CTAGE1 protein, human; D016023:Integrins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D054388:Receptors, CCR; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; C071777:integrin alpha4beta7