Characterization of the γδ T-cell compartment during infancy reveals clear differences between the early neonatal period and 2 years of age.

ABSTRACT: γδ T cells are unconventional T cells that function on the border of innate and adaptive immunity. They are suggested to play important roles in neonatal and infant immunity, although their phenotype and function are not fully characterized in early childhood. We aimed to investigate γδ T cells in relation to age, prematurity and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Therefore, we used flow cytometry to characterize the γδ T-cell compartment in cord blood and peripheral blood cells from 14-day-, 2-year- and 5-year-old children, as well as in peripheral blood samples collected at several time points during the first months of life from extremely premature neonates. γδ T cells were phenotypically similar at 2 and 5 years of age, whereas cord blood was divergent and showed close proximity to γδ T

SUBMITTER: van der Heiden M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7003854 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature