title: Toxoplasma gondii infection of decidual CD1c(+) dendritic cells enhances cytotoxicity of decidual natural killer cells.
abstract: There is crosstalk between decidual natural killer (dNK) cells and decidual dendritic cells (dDCs) that promotes tolerance of trophoblast cells carrying paternally derived antigens. In the present study, we report that infection of CD1c(+) dDCs with Toxoplasma gondii enhanced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production by dNK cells in co-culture. The enhancement of IFN-γ production was induced by cytokine IL-12 which increased obviously in co-culture of dDCs with dNK cells following T. gondii infection, and this enhancement largely abrogated when cells were cultured in the presence of an anti-IL-12 antibody. The expression of KIR2DL4 and NKG2D on dNK cells was increased after T. gondii infection, and higher expression of NKG2D was induced by co-cultured dDCs. Neutralization of IL-12 decreased NKG2D expression on dNK cells. Furthermore, dDCs with T. gondii infection increased the cytotoxicity of co-cultured dNK cells against K562 target cells, which was mediated by activating receptor of NKG2D. Thus, T. gondii infection of dDCs enhanced dNK cell IFN-γ production and NKG2D expression, and then led to increased cytotoxicity of dNK cells. The up-regulated dNK cell cytotoxicity at the maternal-fetal interface may contribute to abnormal pregnancy outcomes caused by T. gondii infection in early pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, No.346 Guanhai Road, Laishan, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
authors.forename: Xianbing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mingdong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Meiyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuzhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D020014:K562 Cells; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018949:Antigens, CD1; C437944:CD1C protein, human; D006023:Glycoproteins; C527085:KLRK1 protein, human; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma