Skin dendritic cells induce follicular helper T cells and protective humoral immune responses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The contribution of individual subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) to generation of adaptive immunity is central to understanding immune homeostasis and protective immune responses.

Objective

We sought to define functions for steady-state skin DCs.

Methods

We present an approach in which we restrict antigen presentation to individual DC subsets in the skin and monitor the effects on endogenous antigen-specific CD4(+) T- and B-cell responses.

Results

Presentation of foreign antigen by Langerhans cells (LC) in the absence of exogenous adjuvant led to a large expansion of T follicular helper (TFH) cells. This was accompanied by B-cell activation, germinal center formation, and protective antibody responses against influenza. The expansion of TFH cells and

SUBMITTER: Yao C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4639468 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature