Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10972806 | International Journal for Parasitology | 2007 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Infectious cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni gain entry to the mammalian host through the skin where they induce a transient inflammatory influx of mononuclear cells. Some of these cells have antigen-presenting cell function (MHCII+) and have been reported to migrate to the skin-draining lymph nodes (sdLN) where they have the potential to prime CD4+ cells of the acquired immune response. Here, in mice exposed to vaccinating radiation-attenuated schistosome larvae, which induce high levels of protective immunity to challenge infection, we describe the parasite-induced migration of Langerhans cells (LCs) from the epidermal site of immunisation to the sdLN using a specific monoclonal antibody that recognises langerin (CD207). CD207+ cells with dendritic morphology were abundant in the epidermis at all times and their migration into the dermis was detected soon after vaccination. All CD207+ LCs were MHCII+ but not all MHCII+ cells in the skin were CD207+. LCs migrated from the dermis in enhanced numbers after vaccination, as detected in dermal exudate populations recovered after in vitro culture of skin biopsies. Elevated numbers of CD207+ LCs were also detected in the sdLN from 24Â h to 4 days after vaccination. However, compared with other dermal-derived antigen-presenting cells that were CD207âMHCII+ or CD207âCD11c+, the relative numbers of CD207+ cells in the dermal exudate population and in the sdLN were very small. Furthermore, the migration of CD207+ cells after exposure to 'protective' radiation-attenuated, compared with 'non-protective' normal cercariae, was similar in terms of numbers and kinetics. Together, these studies suggest that CD207+ LCs are only a minor component of the antigen-presenting cell population that migrates from the epidermis and they are unlikely to be important in the priming of protective CD4+ cells in the sdLN.
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Authors
Supeecha Kumkate, Gavin R. Jenkins, Ross A. Paveley, Karen G. Hogg, Adrian P. Mountford,