title: Differential activation behavior of dermal dendritic cells underlies the strain-specific Th1 responses to single epicutaneous immunization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epicutaneous immunization with allergens is an important sensitization route for atopic dermatitis. We recently showed in addition to the Th2 response following single epicutaneous immunization, a remarkable Th1 response is induced in B6 mice, but not in BALB/c mice, mimicking the immune response to allergens in human non-atopics and atopics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the underlying mechanisms driving this differential Th1 response between BALB/c and B6 mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We characterized dermal dendritic cells by flow cytometric analysis. We measured the induced Th1/Th2 responses by measuring the IFN-γ/IL-13 contents of supernatants of antigen reactivation cultures of lymph node cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrate that more dermal dendritic cells with higher activation status migrate into draining lymph nodes of B6 mice compared to BALB/c mice. Dermal dendritic cells of B6 mice have a greater ability to capture protein antigen than those of BALB/c mice. Moreover, increasing the activation status or amount of captured antigen in dermal dendritic cells induced a Th1 response in BALB/c mice. Further, differential activation behavior, but not antigen-capturing ability of dermal dendritic cells between BALB/c and B6 mice is dendritic cell-intrinsic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that the differential activation behavior of dermal dendritic cells underlies the strain-specific Th1 responses following single epicutaneous immunization. Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential differences between human atopics and non-atopics and provide useful information for the prediction and prevention of atopic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jau-Shiuh
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yng-Cun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ta
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: lifangwa@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Li-Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Dermal dendritic cell; Epicutaneous immunization; Th1 response