Mammary intraepithelial lymphocytes and intestinal inputs shape T cell dynamics in lactogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Pregnancy brings about profound changes in the mammary gland to prepare for lactation, yet immunocyte changes that accompany this rapid remodeling are incompletely understood. We comprehensively analyzed mammary T cells, revealing a marked increase in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T effector cells, including an expansion of T cell receptor (TCR)αβ⁺CD8αα⁺ cells, in pregnancy and lactation. T cells were localized in the mammary epithelium, resembling intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) typically found in mucosal tissues. Similarity to mucosal tissues was substantiated by demonstrating partial dependence on microbial cues, T cell migration from the intestine to the mammary gland in late pregnancy and shared TCR clonotypes between intestinal and mammary tissues, incl

SUBMITTER: Jaquish A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12369998 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature