title: Functional expression of chemokine receptor CCR6 on human effector memory CD8+ T cells.
abstract: Since CCR6 is a receptor for the chemokine CCL20, which is produced in tissues such as intestine and colon, it is thought that T cells expressing CCR6 are involved in mucosal immunity. The expression and function of CCR6 on human CD8+ T cells have not well been analyzed, although it is known that this receptor is expressed on a subset of human CD8+ T cells. We here characterize human CCR6+ CD8+ T cells. Multi-color flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that CCR6+ cells are predominantly found among CD8+ T cells having the memory phenotype. The expression of CCR6 is positively and negatively correlated with that of CCR5 and CCR7, respectively. CCR6+ CD8+ T cells express granzyme A and a low level of perforin but not granzyme B. In addition, a major population among these cells has the ability to produce IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha but not IL-2. These results indicate that CCR6+ CD8+ T cells have characteristics of early effector memory cells rather than effector or central memory cells. A chemotaxis assay revealed that CCR6+ CD8+ T cells have the ability to migrate in response to CCL20, suggesting that these T cells migrate to tissues such as colon and are involved in mucosal immunity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Immunology, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D054418:Chemokine CCL20; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000502:physiology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D054399:Receptors, CCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C108355:CCL20 protein, human; C106311:CCR6 protein, human; D054418:Chemokine CCL20; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D054399:Receptors, CCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine