title: Transcriptional fingerprints of antigen-presenting cell subsets in the human vaginal mucosa and skin reflect tissue-specific immune microenvironments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dendritic cells localize throughout the body, where they can sense and capture invading pathogens to induce protective immunity. Hence, harnessing the biology of tissue-resident dendritic cells is fundamental for the rational design of vaccines against pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Herein, we characterized the transcriptomes of four antigen-presenting cell subsets from the human vagina (Langerhans cells, CD14(-) and CD14(+) dendritic cells, macrophages) by microarray, at both the transcript and network level, and compared them to those of three skin dendritic cell subsets and blood myeloid dendritic cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that genomic fingerprints of antigen-presenting cells are significantly influenced by the tissue of origin as well as by individual subsets. Nonetheless, CD14(+) populations from both vagina and skin are geared towards innate immunity and pro-inflammatory responses, whereas CD14(-) populations, particularly skin and vaginal Langerhans cells, and vaginal CD14(-) dendritic cells, display both Th2-inducing and regulatory phenotypes. We also identified new phenotypic and functional biomarkers of vaginal antigen-presenting cell subsets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide a transcriptional database of 87 microarray samples spanning eight antigen-presenting cell populations in the human vagina, skin and blood. Altogether, these data provide molecular information that will further help characterize human tissue antigen-presenting cell lineages and their functions. Data from this study can guide the design of mucosal vaccines against sexually transmitted pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Dorothée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duluc
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Banchereau
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gannevat
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Luann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thompson-Snipes
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Blanck
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zurawski
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zurawski
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Seunghee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossello-Urgell
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor University Medical Center, 3600 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75246 USA.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stecher
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor University Medical Center, 3600 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75246 USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carley
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor University Medical Center, 3600 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75246 USA.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boreham
authors.affiliation: Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, 3434 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204 USA.
authors.forename: SangKon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh