Role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells for aberrant class II expression in exocrine glands from estrogen-deficient mice of healthy background.
Although it has been well documented that aberrant major histocompatibility complex class II molecules may contribute to the development of autoimmune disorders, the precise mechanisms responsible for their tissue-specific expression remain unknown. Here we show that estrogen deficiency induces aberrant class II major histocompatibility complex expression in exocrine glands via interactions between epithelial cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Relatively modest but functionally significant expression levels of major histocompatibility complex class II and class II transactivator molecules were observed in the exocrine glands of ovariectomized (Ovx) C57BL/6 (B6) mice, but were not seen in the exocrine glands of control B6 mice. We observed that the salivary dendritic cells adjacent to the apoptotic epithelial cells positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, were activated in Ovx mice, but were not activated in control mice. We obtained evidence that the salivary gland cells express both interferon regulatory factor-1 and class II transactivator type IV molecules in Ovx mice. Salivary gland cells from Ovx mice were also capable of inducing the activation of antigen-specific T cells from OT-II transgenic mice. These findings indicate that estrogen deficiency initiates class II transactivator type IV mRNA expression in exocrine glands via interactions between epithelial cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, suggesting that plasmacytoid dendritic cells play a pivotal role in gender-based autoimmune disorders in postmenopausal women.
Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Rieko
R
Arakaki
Ai
A
Nagaoka
Naozumi
N
Ishimaru
Akiko
A
Yamada
Satoko
S
Yoshida
Yoshio
Y
Hayashi
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010052:Ovariectomy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D004967:Estrogens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; C083728:MHC class II transactivator protein; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D007371:Interferon-gamma