[PDF][PDF] Distribution and compartmentalization of human circulating and tissue-resident memory T cell subsets

T Sathaliyawala, M Kubota, N Yudanin, D Turner… - Immunity, 2013 - cell.com
T Sathaliyawala, M Kubota, N Yudanin, D Turner, P Camp, JJC Thome, KL Bickham…
Immunity, 2013cell.com
Knowledge of human T cells derives chiefly from studies of peripheral blood, whereas their
distribution and function in tissues remains largely unknown. Here, we present a unique
analysis of human T cells in lymphoid and mucosal tissues obtained from individual organ
donors, revealing tissue-intrinsic compartmentalization of naive, effector, and memory
subsets conserved between diverse individuals. Effector memory CD4+ T cells producing IL-
2 predominated in mucosal tissues and accumulated as central memory subsets in lymphoid …
Summary
Knowledge of human T cells derives chiefly from studies of peripheral blood, whereas their distribution and function in tissues remains largely unknown. Here, we present a unique analysis of human T cells in lymphoid and mucosal tissues obtained from individual organ donors, revealing tissue-intrinsic compartmentalization of naive, effector, and memory subsets conserved between diverse individuals. Effector memory CD4+ T cells producing IL-2 predominated in mucosal tissues and accumulated as central memory subsets in lymphoid tissue, whereas CD8+ T cells were maintained as naive subsets in lymphoid tissues and IFN-γ-producing effector memory CD8+ T cells in mucosal sites. The T cell activation marker CD69 was constitutively expressed by memory T cells in all tissues, distinguishing them from circulating subsets, with mucosal memory T cells exhibiting additional distinct phenotypic and functional properties. Our results provide an assessment of human T cell compartmentalization as a new baseline for understanding human adaptive immunity.
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