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  • The human memory T cell com...
    Woodward Davis, Amanda S; Vick, Sarah C; Pattacini, Laura; Voillet, Valentin; Hughes, Sean M; Lentz, Gretchen M; Kirby, Anna C; Fialkow, Michael F; Gottardo, Raphael; Hladik, Florian; Lund, Jennifer M; Prlic, Martin

    Mucosal immunology, 07/2021, Volume: 14, Issue: 4
    Journal Article

    Memory CD4 T cells in tissues fulfill numerous functions that are critical for local immune homeostasis and protection against pathogens. Previous studies have highlighted the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of circulating and tissue-resident memory CD4 T cells across different human tissues such as skin, lung, liver, and colon. Comparatively little is known in regard to memory CD4 T cells across tissues of the female reproductive tract (FRT). We examined CD4 T cells in donor-matched vaginal, ecto- and endocervical tissues, which differ in mucosal structure and exposure to external environmental stimuli. We hypothesized that this could be reflected by tissue-specific differences in the memory CD4 T cell compartment. We found differences in CD4 subset distribution across these tissues. Specifically, CD69 CD103 CD4 T cells were significantly more abundant in vaginal than cervical tissues. In contrast, the transcriptional profiles of CD4 subsets were fairly conserved across FRT tissues. CD69 CD103 CD4 T cells showed a T 17 bias independent of tissue niche. Our data suggest that FRT tissues affect T cell subset distribution but have limited effects on the transcriptome of each subset. We discuss the implications for barrier immunity in the FRT.