title: Renal dendritic cells sample blood-borne antigen and guide T-cell migration to the kidney by means of intravascular processes.
abstract: Bony fish are among the first vertebrates to possess an innate and adaptive immune system. In these species, the kidney has a dual function: filtering solutes similar to mammals and acting as a lymphoid organ responsible for hematopoiesis and antigen processing. Recent studies have shown that the mammalian kidney has an extensive network of mononuclear phagocytes, whose function is not fully understood. Here, we employed two-photon intravital microscopy of fluorescent reporter mice to demonstrate that renal dendritic cells encase the microvasculature in the cortex, extend dendrites into the peritubular capillaries, and sample the blood for antigen. We utilized a mouse model of systemic bacterial infection as well as immune complexes to demonstrate antigen uptake by renal dendritic cells. As a consequence, renal dendritic cells mediated T-cell migration into the kidney in an antigen-dependent manner in the setting of bacterial infection. Thus, renal dendritic cells may be uniquely positioned to play an important role not only in surveillance of systemic infection but also in local infection and autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Karim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yatim
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Minja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gosto
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Rishab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Humar
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: mho6@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Oberbarnscheidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000069416:Intravital Microscopy; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton; D023421:Models, Animal; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex
keywords: acute kidney injury; macrophages; sepsis