title: Vaginal type-II mucosa is an inductive site for primary CD8⁺ T-cell mucosal immunity.
abstract: The structured lymphoid tissues are considered the only inductive sites where primary T-cell immune responses occur. The naïve T cells in structured lymphoid tissues, once being primed by antigen-bearing dendritic cells, differentiate into memory T cells and traffic back to the mucosal sites through the bloodstream. Contrary to this belief, here we show that the vaginal type-II mucosa itself, despite the lack of structured lymphoid tissues, can act as an inductive site during primary CD8(+) T-cell immune responses. We provide evidence that the vaginal mucosa supports both the local immune priming of naïve CD8(+) T cells and the local expansion of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells, thereby demonstrating a different paradigm for primary mucosal T-cell immune induction.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Yichuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: 1] Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA [2] Aeras, 1405 Research Boulevard, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hogg
authors.affiliation: 1] The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4120, Australia [2] Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, Greenslopes, Queensland 4120, Australia.
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Steel
authors.affiliation: University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jay A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Berzofsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology*