Skin CD4+ Memory T Cells Exhibit Combined Cluster-Mediated Retention and Equilibration with the Circulation
May 2016
in “
Nature communications
”
Studysummary This study found that mouse skin CD4(+) memory T cells are in equilibrium with the circulation under steady state but increase in specific clusters in response to infection or inflammation.
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The study demonstrated that memory CD4(+) T cells in mouse skin maintain a balance between residing in the tissue and circulating in the blood. These cells are distributed in the dermis and cluster around hair follicles with antigen-presenting cells. Following infection or exposure to a sensitizing agent, there is a significant and sustained increase in the number of CD4(+) T cells within these clusters. This increase is associated with a rise in CD4(+) T cell recruitment driven by the chemokine CCL5, which is produced by CD11b(+) cells and CD8(+) T cells. Notably, removing CD8(+) T cells leads to a reduction in CD4(+) T-cell numbers. The findings indicate that the presence and dynamics of CD4(+) memory T cells in the skin are influenced by both the tissue's retention mechanisms and its history of infection and inflammation.
