Specific phenotype and function of CD56-expressing innate immune cell subsets in human thymus

Gerstner S, Köhler W, Heidkamp GF, Purbojo A, Uchida S, Ekici AB, Heger L, Luetke-Eversloh M, Schubert R, Bader P, Klingebiel T, Koehl U, Mackensen A, Romagnani C, Cesnjevar R, Dudziak D, Evelyn U (2016)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Journal of Leukocyte Biology Society for Leukocyte Biology

Book Volume: 100

Pages Range: 1297-1310

Journal Issue: 6

DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1A0116-038R

Abstract

Whereas innate immune cells, such as NK and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), have been characterized in different human tissues, knowledge on the thymic CD56-expressing cell subsets is limited. In this study, the rare subpopulations of thymic CD56(+)CD3(-) cells from samples of >100 patients have been successfully analyzed. The results revealed fundamental differences between thymic and peripheral blood (PB) CD56(+)CD3(-) cells. Thymic tissues lacked immunoregulatory CD56(high)CD16(dim) NK cells but showed two Eomes(+)CD56(dim) subsets on which common NK cell markers were significantly altered. CD56(dim)CD16(high) cells expressed high amounts of NKG2A, NKG2D, and CD27 with low CD57. Conversely, CD56(dim)CD16(dim) cells displayed high CD127 but low expression of KIR, NKG2D, and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs). Thymic CD56(+)CD3(-) cells were able to gain cytotoxicity but were especially immunoregulatory cells, producing a broad range of cytokines. Finally, one population of thymic CD56(+) cells resembled conventional NK cells, whereas the other represented a novel, noncanonical NK subset.

Authors with CRIS profile

Stephanie Gerstner Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V Wolfgang Köhler Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V Gordon Frederik Heidkamp Department of Dermatology Ariawan Purbojo Department of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Arif Bülent Ekici Institute of Human Genetics Lukas Heger Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Klinische Forschung IZKF-Förderlinien Andreas Mackensen Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V Robert Cesnjevar Department of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Diana Dudziak Professur für die Biologie Dendritischer Zellen

Additional Organisation(s)

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Klinische Forschung

Involved external institutions

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main DE Germany (DE) Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ) DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt am Main (KGU) DE Germany (DE) Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH) / Hannover Medical School DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Gerstner, S., Köhler, W., Heidkamp, G.F., Purbojo, A., Uchida, S., Ekici, A.B.,... Evelyn, U. (2016). Specific phenotype and function of CD56-expressing innate immune cell subsets in human thymus. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 100(6), 1297-1310. https://doi.org/10.1189/jlb.1A0116-038R

MLA:

Gerstner, Stephanie, et al. "Specific phenotype and function of CD56-expressing innate immune cell subsets in human thymus." Journal of Leukocyte Biology 100.6 (2016): 1297-1310.

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