title: FTY720 preferentially depletes naive T cells from peripheral and lymphoid organs.
abstract: The sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist FTY720 induces lymphopenia by inhibiting lymphocyte egress from thymus and lymph nodes. The immediate effect of the drug on T cells in blood and lymphoid tissues is well documented, however effects on peripheral T cell sub-populations have not been studied. We therefore analyzed the changes in T cell subset compositions in liver, lung, kidney, spleen, lymph nodes and blood induced by FTY720-treatment using 9-parameter flow cytometry. In untreated mice, naive T cells were present in all peripheral organs. Naive T cells were depleted from peripheral organs within 3 days by FTY720, and with slower kinetics from lymphoid organs. Antigen-experienced T cell subsets were less affected by FTY720-treatment and substantial numbers were retained in the periphery. The proportion of CD8(+)CD44(+)CD43(+) Gr-1(+) effector memory cells increased after FTY720-treatment, while that of CD8(+)CD44(+)CD62L(+) central memory cells was unchanged. Our data demonstrate that naive T cells pass peripheral tissues as part of their default recirculation pathway. FTY720 treatment primarily affects the recirculation of naive and central memory cells, both of which re-circulate through lymph nodes on a regular basis, but does not influence effector memory cells. This suggests that treatment with FTY720 may not interfere with immune functions mediated locally by tissue-resident peripheral effector/memory T cells.
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Transplantation Research, Autoimmunity/Transplantation Disease Area, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland. matthias.hofmann@novartis.com <matthias.hofmann@novartis.com>
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: Hans-Günter
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zerwes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D013110:Sphingosine