E-selectin, thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine/CCL17, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 are constitutively coexpressed in dermal microvessels: a foundation for a cutaneous immunosurveillance system

The success of the cutaneous immune system reflects its ability to rapidly and efficiently recruit leukocytes to areas of trauma and infection. Skin-homing memory T cells expressing cutaneous lymphocyte-associated Ag tether on the walls of postcapillary venules in inflamed skin via interaction with endothelial E-selectin and roll in response to the shear stress imparted by flowing blood. Rolling cells sample the vascular surface for chemoattractant compounds (e.g., thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine/CCL17 interacting with CCR4 on the leukocyte surface) and, if successfully stimulated, progress to firm arrest and transmigration mediated by LFA-1 and vascular ICAM-1. Although it is established that this sequence of events draws T cells into inflamed skin, the mechanisms directing trafficking of T cells to noninflamed skin are less well characterized. We hypothesized that basal expression and colocalization of E-selectin, chemokine (e.g., CCL17), and ICAM-1 in dermal vessels could serve to recruit T cells to noninflamed human skin. Immunohistochemical staining for E-selectin and CD31 demonstrated E-selectin expression in a restricted subset of dermal vessels in noninflamed human skin from three different sites. Confocal multicolor immunofluorescence imaging revealed a nonuniform distribution of E-selectin in dermal vessels as well as colocalization of E-selectin with CCL17 and ICAM-1. Coexpression of these molecules on blood vessels in noninflamed skin provides the basis for a model of cutaneous immunosurveillance system active in the absence of pathologic inflammation.     

Characterization of dendritic cells subpopulations in skin and afferent lymph in the swine model

Transcutaneous delivery of vaccines to specific skin dendritic cells (DC) subsets is foreseen as a promising strategy to induce strong and specific types of immune responses such as tolerance, cytotoxicity or humoral immunity. Because of striking histological similarities between human and pig skin, pig is recognized as the most suitable model to study the cutaneous delivery of medicine. Therefore improving the knowledge on swine skin DC subsets would be highly valuable to the skin vaccine field. In this study, we showed that pig skin DC comprise the classical epidermal langerhans cells (LC) and dermal DC (DDC) that could be divided in 3 subsets according to their phenotypes: (1) the CD163(neg)/CD172a(neg), (2) the CD163(high)CD172a(pos) and (3) the CD163(low)CD172a(pos) DDC. These subtypes have the capacity to migrate from skin to lymph node since we detected them in pseudo-afferent lymph. Extensive phenotyping with a set of markers suggested that the CD163(high) DDC resemble the antibody response-inducing human skin DC/macrophages whereas the CD163(neg)CD172(low) DDC share properties with the CD8(+) T cell response-inducing murine skin CD103(pos) DC. This work, by showing similarities between human, mouse and swine skin DC, establishes pig as a model of choice for the development of transcutaneous immunisation strategies targeting DC.     

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 deficiency attenuates the development of skin fibrosis in tight-skin mice

The tight-skin (TSK/+) mouse, a genetic model for systemic sclerosis, develops cutaneous fibrosis. Although a fibrillin 1 gene mutation and immunological abnormalities have been demonstrated, the roles of adhesion molecules have not been investigated. To directly assess roles of adhesion molecules in skin fibrosis, TSK/+ mice lacking L-selectin and/or ICAM-1 were generated. The deficiency of ICAM-1, but not L-selectin, significantly suppressed ( approximately 48%) the development of skin sclerosis in TSK/+ mice. Similarly, ICAM-1 antisense oligonucleotides inhibited skin fibrosis in TSK/+ mice. Although T cell infiltration was modest into the skin of TSK/+ mice, ICAM-1 deficiency down-regulated this migration, which is consistent with the established roles of endothelial ICAM-1 in leukocyte infiltration. In addition, altered phenotype or function of skin fibroblasts was remarkable and dependent on ICAM-1 expression in TSK/+ mice. ICAM-1 expression was augmented on TSK/+ dermal fibroblasts stimulated with IL-4. Although growth or collagen synthesis of TSK/+ fibroblasts cultured with IL-4 was up-regulated, it was suppressed by the loss or blocking of ICAM-1. Collagen expression was dependent on the strain of fibroblasts, but not on the strain of cocultured T cells. Thus, our findings indicate that ICAM-1 expression contributes to the development of skin fibrosis in TSK/+ mice, especially via ICAM-1 expressed on skin fibroblasts.     

Preferential induction of CD4+ T cell responses through in vivo targeting of antigen to dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1

Targeting of Ags and therapeutics to dendritic cells (DCs) has immense potential for immunotherapy and vaccination. Because DCs are heterogeneous, optimal targeting strategies will require knowledge about functional specialization among DC subpopulations and identification of molecules for targeting appropriate DCs. We characterized the expression of a fungal recognition receptor, DC-associated C-type lectin-1 (Dectin-1), on mouse DC subpopulations and investigated the ability of an anti-Dectin-1 Ab to deliver Ag for the stimulation of immune responses. Dectin-1 was shown to be expressed on CD8alpha-CD4-CD11b+ DCs found in spleen and lymph nodes and dermal DCs present in skin and s.c. lymph nodes. Injection of Ag-anti-Dectin-1 conjugates induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell and Ab responses at low doses where free Ag failed to elicit a response. Notably, qualitatively different immune responses were generated by targeting Ag to Dectin-1 vs CD205, a molecule expressed on CD8alpha+CD4-CD11b- DCs, dermal DCs, and Langerhans cells. Unlike anti-Dectin-1, anti-CD205 conjugates failed to elicit an Ab response. Moreover, when conjugates were injected i.v., anti-Dectin-1 stimulated a much stronger CD4+ T cell response and a much weaker CD8+ T cell response than anti-CD205. The results reveal Dectin-1 as a potential targeting molecule for immunization and have implications for the specialization of DC subpopulations.     

Induction by IL 1 and interferon-gamma: tissue distribution, biochemistry, and function of a natural adherence molecule (ICAM-1)

ICAM-1 is a cell surface glycoprotein originally defined by a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that inhibits phorbol ester-stimulated leukocyte aggregation. Staining of frozen sections and immunofluorescence flow cytometry showed intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is expressed on non-hematopoietic cells such as vascular endothelial cells, thymic epithelial cells, certain other epithelial cells, and fibroblasts, and on hematopoietic cells such as tissue macrophages, mitogen-stimulated T lymphocyte blasts, and germinal center dendritic cells in tonsils, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches. ICAM-1 staining on vascular endothelial cells is most intense in T cell areas in lymph nodes and tonsils showing reactive hyperplasia. ICAM-1 is expressed in low amounts on peripheral blood leukocytes. Phorbol ester-stimulated differentiation of myelomonocytic cell lines greatly increases ICAM-1 expression. ICAM-1 expression on dermal fibroblasts is increased threefold to fivefold by either interleukin 1 (IL 1) or interferon-gamma at 10 U/ml over a period of 4 or 10 hr, respectively. The induction is dependent on protein and mRNA synthesis and is reversible. ICAM-1 displays Mr heterogeneity in different cell types with a Mr of 97,000 on fibroblasts, 114,000 on the myelomonocytic cell line U937, and 90,000 on the B lymphoblastoid cell JY. ICAM-1 biosynthesis involves a Mr approximately 73,000 intracellular precursor. The non-N-glycosylated form resulting from tunicamycin treatment has a Mr of 55,000. ICAM-1 isolated from phorbol myristic acetate (PMA) stimulated U937 and from fibroblasts yields an identical major product of Mr = 60,000 after chemical deglycosylation. ICAM-1 MAb interferes with the adhesion of phytohemagglutinin blasts, and the adhesion of the cell line SKW3 to human dermal fibroblast cell layers. Pretreatment of fibroblasts but not lymphocytes with ICAM-1 MAb, and of lymphocytes but not fibroblasts with lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 MAb inhibits adhesion. Intercellular adhesion is increased by prior exposure of fibroblasts to IL 1, and correlates with induction of ICAM-1.     

Langerhans cells are required for efficient presentation of topically applied hapten to T cells

Dendritic cells (DC) play a pivotal role in the control of T cell immunity due to their ability to stimulate naive T cells and direct effector function. Murine and human DC are composed of a number of phenotypically, and probably developmentally, distinct subsets, which may play unique roles in the initiation and regulation of T cell responses. The skin is populated by at least two subsets of DC: Langerhans cells (LC), which form a contiguous network throughout the epidermis, and dermal DC. LC have classically been thought vital to initiate T cell responses to cutaneous Ags. However, recent data have highlighted the importance of dermal DC in cutaneous immunity, and the requirement for LC has become unclear. To define the relative roles of LC and dermal DC, we and others generated mouse models in which LC were specifically depleted in vivo. Unexpectedly, these studies yielded conflicting data as to the role of LC in cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Extending our initial finding, we demonstrate that topical Ag is inefficiently transported to draining lymph nodes in the absence of LC, resulting in suboptimal priming of T cells and reduced CHS. However, dermal DC may also prime cutaneous T cell responses, suggesting redundancy between the two different skin DC subsets in this model.     

CD4+ T cell responses elicited by different subsets of human skin migratory dendritic cells

Skin dendritic cells (DC) are professional APC critical for initiation and control of adaptive immunity. In the present work we have analyzed the CD4+ T cell stimulatory function of different subsets of DC that migrate spontaneously from human skin explants, including CD1a+CD14- Langerhans' cells (LC), CD1a-CD14- dermal DC (DDC), and CD1a-CD14+ LC precursors. Skin migratory DC consisted of APC at different stages of maturation-activation that produced IL-10, TGF-beta1, IL-23p19, and IL-12p40, but did not release IL-12p70 even after exposure to DC1-driving stimuli. LC and DDC migrated as mature/activated APC able to stimulate allogeneic naive CD4+ T cells and to induce memory Th1 cells in the absence of IL-12p70. The potent CD4+ T cell stimulatory function of LC and DDC correlated with their high levels of expression of MHC class II, adhesion, and costimulatory molecules. The Th1-biasing function of LC and DDC depended on their ability to produce IL-23. By contrast, CD1a-CD14+ LC precursors migrated as immature-semimature APC and were weak stimulators of allogeneic naive CD4+ T cells. However, and opposite of a potential tolerogenic role of immature DC, the T cell allostimulatory and Th1-biasing function of CD14+ LC precursors increased significantly by augmenting their cell number, prolonging the time of interaction with responding T cells, or addition of recombinant human IL-23 in MLC. The data presented in this study provide insight into the function of the complex network of skin-resident DC that migrate out of the epidermis and dermis after cutaneous immunizations, pathogen infections, or allograft transplantation.     

CC chemokine ligand 19 secreted by mature dendritic cells increases naive T cell scanning behavior and their response to rare cognate antigen

For immune responses to take place, naive T cells have to encounter, adhere to, and be stimulated by dendritic cells (DCs). In murine lymph nodes, T cells move randomly and scan the surface of multiple DCs. The factors controlling this motility as well as its consequences remain unclear. We have monitored by video-imaging the earliest steps of the interaction between human DCs and autologous naive CD4+ T cells in the absence of exogenous Ags. Mature, but not immature, DCs were able to elicit small calcium responses in naive T cells along with cell polarization and random motility, resulting in an efficient scanning of DC surfaces by T cells. We identified CCL19 as a key factor enabling all these early T cell responses, including the occurrence of calcium transients. Because this chemokine did not influence the strength of naive T cell adhesion to DCs, enhanced LFA-1 affinity for ICAM-1 was not the main mechanism by which CCL19 increased Ag-independent calcium transients. However, concomitantly to T cell motility, CCL19 augmented the frequency of T cell responses to rare anti-CD3/CD28-coated beads, used as surrogate APCs. We thus propose a new role for CCL19 in humans: by conditioning T cells into a motile DC-scanning state, this chemokine promotes Ag-independent responses and increases the probability of cognate MHC-peptide encounter.     

CD44 Variant Isoforms are Essential for the Function of Epidermal Langerhans Cells and Dendritic Cells

Upon antigen encounter epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) and dendritic cells (DC) emigrate from peripheral organs and invade lymph nodes through the afferent lymphatic vessels and then assemble in the paracortical T cell zone and present antigen to T lymphocytes. Part of this process is mimicked by metastasizing tumor cells. Since splice variants of CD44 promote metastasis to lymph nodes we explored the expression of CD44 proteins on migrating LC and DC. We show that following antigen contact, LC and DC upregulate pan CD44 epitopes and epitopes encoded by variant exons v4, v5, v6 and v9. Antibodies against CD44 epitopes arrest LC in the epidermis, prevent the binding of activated LC and DC to the T cell zones of lymph nodes, and severely inhibit their capacity to induce a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to a skin hapten in vivo. Our results demonstrate that CD44 splice variant expression is obligatory for the migration and function of LC and DC.     

Epidermal and dermal dendritic cells display differential activation and migratory behavior while sharing the ability to stimulate CD4+ T cell proliferation in vivo

Migrated Langerhans cells (m-LCs) have recently been shown to comprise only a minority of skin-derived dendritic cells (DCs) expressing Langerin in cutaneous lymph nodes. We have used BM chimeric mice that differ in CD45 and MHC class II alleles to unequivocally distinguish between radioresistant m-LCs and radiosensitive migrated dermal DCs (m-dDCs), to determine their phenotype, response to contact sensitization, and ability to activate naive CD4+ T cells in vivo. We have also characterized three subsets of dDCs and their migratory counterparts, as distinguished by expression of CD11b and Langerin. Each of the four subsets of skin DCs showed differential migration to draining LN in response to contact sensitizing agents. Migration of Langerin-CD11b+ and Langerin+CD11blow dDCs peaked after 1 day, followed by Langerin-CD11blow dDCs at 2 days and Langerin+ LCs at 4 days. Moreover, while m-LCs and m-dDCs had similar surface phenotypes in the steady state, they displayed unexpectedly different activation responses to contact sensitization: m-dDCs markedly up-regulated CD80 and CD86 at day 1, whereas only m-LCs up-regulated CD40, with delayed kinetics. Thus, m-dDCs are likely to be responsible for the initial response to skin immunization. However, when expression of cognate MHC class II was restricted to LCs and m-LCs, they were also capable of processing and presenting protein Ag to drive naive CD4 T cell proliferation in vivo. Thus, m-dDCs and m-LCs display distinct behavior in cutaneous lymph nodes while sharing the ability to interact specifically with T cells to control the immune response.     

Homing and function of human skin gammadelta T cells and NK cells: relevance for tumor surveillance

Normal (noninflamed) human skin contains a network of lymphocytes, but little is known about the homing and function of these cells. The majority of alphabeta T cells in normal skin express CCR8 and produce proinflammatory cytokines. In this study we examined other subsets of cutaneous lymphocytes, focusing on those with potential function in purging healthy tissue of transformed and stressed cells. Human dermal cell suspensions contained significant populations of Vdelta1(+) gammadelta T cells and CD56(+)CD16(-) NK cells, but lacked the subsets of Vdelta2(+) gammadelta T cells and CD56(+)CD16(+) NK cells, which predominate in peripheral blood. The skin-homing receptors CCR8 and CLA were expressed by a large fraction of both cell types, whereas chemokine receptors associated with lymphocyte migration to inflamed skin were absent. Neither cell type expressed CCR7, although gammadelta T cells up-regulated this lymph node-homing receptor upon TCR triggering. Stimulation of cutaneous Vdelta1(+) gammadelta T cell lines induced secretion of large amounts of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and the CCR8 ligand CCL1. In contrast to cutaneous alphabeta T cells, both cell types had the capacity to produce intracellular perforin and displayed strong cytotoxic activity against melanoma cells. We therefore propose that gammadelta T cells and NK cells are regular constituents of normal human skin with potential function in the clearance of tumor and otherwise stressed tissue cells.     

Phorbol myristate acetate-activated keratinocytes stimulate proliferation of resting peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes via a MHC-independent, but protein kinase C- and intercellular adhesion molecule-1-dependent, mechanism.

Recent attention has focused on the role keratinocytes (KC) may play in the induction of T cell-mediated inflammatory responses in skin, particularly because KC, when activated by immunologic stimuli, express MHC class II Ag and secrete immunomodulatory cytokines. We tested the capacity of normal human KC that were stimulated with PMA to induce PBMC proliferation. PMA-treated, but not untreated, KC induced proliferation of allogeneic as well as autologous PBMC; in addition, when purified CD4+ or CD8+ T cells were used as responders, each subset proliferated. PBMC proliferation was not due to direct action of PMA on PBMC, nor to contamination of KC cultures with Langerhans cells (LC) or dermal APC. Pretreatment with different protein kinase C inhibitors abrogated the capacity of PMA-stimulated KC to induce proliferation. Paraformaldehyde-fixed PMA-KC stimulated PBMC proliferation, whereas supernatants from PMA-treated KC failed to do so, indicating that a membrane-associated activity on PMA-KC contributes to the induction of PBMC proliferation. PMA induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression on KC; furthermore, mAb against ICAM-1 or against its ligand lymphocyte function-associated Ag (LFA-1) (CD11a/CD18) significantly, but incompletely, reduced the stimulatory capacity of PMA-treated KC, indicating that ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction contributed to PBMC proliferation. IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha also induced ICAM-1 on KC, but these KC failed to stimulate proliferation, suggesting that PMA induces additional signals from KC, which act in concert with ICAM-1 to promote proliferation. Finally, mAb against HLA-ABC or HLA-DR did not inhibit proliferation. We conclude that PMA can activate KC to stimulate T cell proliferation in a MHC-independent fashion. This activation is mediated by protein kinase C and in part by the induction of ICAM-1 expression on KC.     

The Toll-like receptor 5 stimulus bacterial flagellin induces maturation and chemokine production in human dendritic cells

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that serve an important function in detecting pathogens and initiating inflammatory responses. Upon encounter with foreign Ag, dendritic cells (DCs) go through a maturation process characterized by an increase in surface expression of MHC class II and costimulatory molecules, which leads to initiation of an effective immune response in naive T cells. The innate immune response to bacterial flagellin is mediated by TLR5, which is expressed on human DCs. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether flagellin could induce DC maturation. Immature DCs were cultured in the absence or presence of flagellin and monitored for expression of cell surface maturation markers. Stimulation with flagellin induced increased surface expression of CD83, CD80, CD86, MHC class II, and the lymph node-homing chemokine receptor CCR7. Flagellin stimulated the expression of chemokines active on neutrophils (IL-8/CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)8, GRO-alpha/CXCL1, GRO-beta/CXCL2, GRO-gamma/CXCL3), monocytes (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/CC chemokine ligand (CCL)2), and immature DCs (macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha/CCL3, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 beta/CCL4), but not chemokines active on effector T cells (IFN-inducible protein-10 kDa/CXCL10, monokine induced by IFN-gamma/CXCL9, IFN-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant/CXCL11). However, stimulating DCs with both flagellin and IFN-inducible protein-10 kDa, monokine induced by IFN-gamma, and IFN-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant expression, whereas stimulation with IFN-beta or flagellin alone failed to induce these chemokines. In functional assays, flagellin-matured DCs displayed enhanced T cell stimulatory activity with a concomitant decrease in endocytic activity. Finally, DCs isolated from mouse spleens or bone marrows were shown to not express TLR5 and were not responsive to flagellin stimulation. These results demonstrate that flagellin can directly stimulate human but not murine DC maturation, providing an additional mechanism by which motile bacteria can initiate an acquired immune response.     

Differential transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by distinct subsets of effector dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DC) support human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission by capture of the virus particle in the mucosa and subsequent transport to the draining lymph node, where HIV-1 is presented to CD4(+) Th cells. Virus transmission involves a high-affinity interaction between the DC-specific surface molecule DC-SIGN and the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 and subsequent internalization of the virus, which remains infectious. The mechanism of viral transmission from DC to T cells is currently unknown. Sentinel immature DC (iDC) develop into Th1-promoting effector DC1 or Th2-promoting DC2, depending on the activation signals. We studied the ability of these effector DC subsets to support HIV-1 transmission in vitro. Compared with iDC, virus transmission is greatly upregulated for the DC1 subset, whereas DC2 cells are inactive. Increased transmission by DC1 correlates with increased expression of ICAM-1, and blocking studies confirm that ICAM-1 expression on DC is important for HIV transmission. The ICAM-1-LFA-1 interaction is known to be important for immunological cross talk between DC and T cells, and our results indicate that this cell-cell contact is exploited by HIV-1 for efficient transmission.     

Multiple dendritic cell populations activate CD4+ T cells after viral stimulation

Dendritic cells (DC) are a heterogeneous cell population that bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems. CD8alpha DC play a prominent, and sometimes exclusive, role in driving amplification of CD8(+) T cells during a viral infection. Whether this reliance on a single subset of DC also applies for CD4(+) T cell activation is unknown. We used a direct ex vivo antigen presentation assay to probe the capacity of flow cytometrically purified DC populations to drive amplification of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells following infection with influenza virus by different routes. This study examined the contributions of non-CD8alpha DC populations in the amplification of CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells in cutaneous and systemic influenza viral infections. We confirmed that in vivo, effective immune responses for CD8(+) T cells are dominated by presentation of antigen by CD8alpha DC but can involve non-CD8alpha DC. In contrast, CD4(+) T cell responses relied more heavily on the contributions of dermal DC migrating from peripheral lymphoid tissues following cutaneous infection, and CD4 DC in the spleen after systemic infection. CD4(+) T cell priming by DC subsets that is dependent upon the route of administration raises the possibility that vaccination approaches could be tailored to prime helper T cell immunity.     

A postmigrational switch among skin-derived dendritic cells to a macrophage-like phenotype is predetermined by the intracutaneous cytokine balance

Migration of dendritic cells (DC) to secondary lymphoid organs under proinflammatory conditions coincides with their maturation and acquisition of T cell stimulatory abilities. In contrast, impaired activation of DC, e.g., in tumor-conditioned environments, may hamper their activation and possibly their subsequent migration to lymph nodes, leading to either immunological tolerance or ignorance, respectively. In this study, the influence of cytokines in the peripheral skin microenvironment on the activation state of migrating cutaneous DC was assessed using an ex vivo human skin explant model. We observed a phenotypic shift from mature CD83(+) DC to immature CD14(+) macrophage-like cells within 7 days subsequent to migration from unconditioned skin. These macrophage-like cells displayed a poor T cell stimulatory ability and lacked expression of CCR7, thus precluding their migration to paracortical T cell areas in the lymph nodes. The balance of suppressive and stimulatory cytokines during the initiation of migration decided the postmigrational fate of DC with IL-10 accelerating and GM-CSF and IL-4 preventing the phenotypic switch, which proved irreversible once established. These observations indicate that, in immunosuppressed environments, a postmigrational DC-to-macrophage shift may hinder T cell activation, but also that it may be prevented by prior conditioning of the tissue microenvironment by GM-CSF and/or IL-4.     

Binding of human rhinovirus and T cells to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on human fibroblasts. Discordance between effects of IL-1 and IFN-gamma.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is found on the surface of many hemopoietic and non-hemopoietic cells and can function as an adhesive ligand for the integrin, leukocyte function associated molecule-1 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18). ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction is thought to be of importance in many immune mediated cell-cell adhesion reactions. Recently, the major human rhinovirus (HRV) receptor has been identified as ICAM-1. HRV has been shown to bind specifically to ICAM-1 on transfected COS cells and to purified ICAM-1, which has been adsorbed to plastic microtiter wells. We have compared the ability of ICAM-1 expressed on the surface of human fibroblasts (FB) to function as a receptor for HRV as well as a receptor for LFA-1-bearing human T lymphocytes. We show that FB stimulation by the cytokines IFN-gamma or IL-1, both known inducers of ICAM-1 synthesis and expression in FB, induced an increase in HRV binding to treated cells, which could be inhibited by antibody to ICAM-1. In contrast, only IFN-gamma and not IL-1 treatment of FB resulted in an increased adhesion of T lymphocytes. Binding of HRV to IFN-gamma-treated FB inhibited the subsequent adhesion of T cells. We also show that prior stimulation of FB with IL-1 enhanced the adhesion of HRV to IFN-gamma-stimulated cells, although IL-1 pretreatment was inhibitory for T cell adhesion. As these two cytokines both up-regulate ICAM-1 on the surface of human FB, the contrasting effects of IFN-gamma and IL-1 on human FB ICAM-1 adhesion to HRV and to LFA-1 suggest that qualitative as well as quantitative alterations of the ICAM-1 molecule may contribute to its specificity of ligand recognition.     

Langerin+ dermal dendritic cells are critical for CD8+ T cell activation and IgH γ-1 class switching in response to gene gun vaccines

The C-type lectin langerin/CD207 was originally discovered as a specific marker for epidermal Langerhans cells (LC). Recently, additional and distinct subsets of langerin(+) dendritic cells (DC) have been identified in lymph nodes and peripheral tissues of mice. Although the role of LC for immune activation or modulation is now being discussed controversially, other langerin(+) DC appear crucial for protective immunity in a growing set of infection and vaccination models. In knock-in mice that express the human diphtheria toxin receptor under control of the langerin promoter, injection of diphtheria toxin ablates LC for several weeks whereas other langerin(+) DC subsets are replenished within just a few days. Thus, by careful timing of diphtheria toxin injections selective states of deficiency in either LC only or all langerin(+) cells can be established. Taking advantage of this system, we found that, unlike selective LC deficiency, ablation of all langerin(+) DC abrogated the activation of IFN-γ-producing and cytolytic CD8(+) T cells after gene gun vaccination. Moreover, we identified migratory langerin(+) dermal DC as the subset that directly activated CD8(+) T cells in lymph nodes. Langerin(+) DC were also critical for IgG1 but not IgG2a Ab induction, suggesting differential polarization of CD4(+) T helper cells by langerin(+) or langerin-negative DC, respectively. In contrast, protein vaccines administered with various adjuvants induced IgG1 independently of langerin(+) DC. Taken together, these findings reflect a highly specialized division of labor between different DC subsets both with respect to Ag encounter as well as downstream processes of immune activation.     

Humanized Mouse Model of Skin Inflammation Is Characterized by Disturbed Keratinocyte Differentiation and Influx of IL-17A Producing T Cells

Humanized mouse models offer a challenging possibility to study human cell function in vivo. In the huPBL-SCID-huSkin allograft model human skin is transplanted onto immunodeficient mice and allowed to heal. Thereafter allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cells are infused intra peritoneally to induce T cell mediated inflammation and microvessel destruction of the human skin. This model has great potential for in vivo study of human immune cells in (skin) inflammatory processes and for preclinical screening of systemically administered immunomodulating agents. Here we studied the inflammatory skin response of human keratinocytes and human T cells and the concomitant systemic human T cell response.As new findings in the inflamed human skin of the huPBL-SCID-huSkin model we here identified: 1. Parameters of dermal pathology that enable precise quantification of the local skin inflammatory response exemplified by acanthosis, increased expression of human β-defensin-2, Elafin, K16, Ki67 and reduced expression of K10 by microscopy and immunohistochemistry. 2. Induction of human cytokines and chemokines using quantitative real-time PCR. 3. Influx of inflammation associated IL-17A-producing human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as immunoregulatory CD4+Foxp3+ cells using immunohistochemistry and -fluorescence, suggesting that active immune regulation is taking place locally in the inflamed skin. 4. Systemic responses that revealed activated and proliferating human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that acquired homing marker expression of CD62L and CLA. Finally, we demonstrated the value of the newly identified parameters by showing significant changes upon systemic treatment with the T cell inhibitory agents cyclosporine-A and rapamycin.In summary, here we equipped the huPBL-SCID-huSkin humanized mouse model with relevant tools not only to quantify the inflammatory dermal response, but also to monitor the peripheral immune status. This combined approach will gain our understanding of the dermal immunopathology in humans and benefit the development of novel therapeutics for controlling inflammatory skin diseases.