Identification of both myeloid CD11c+ and lymphoid CD11c− dendritic cell subsets in cord blood

• Published in: British journal of haematology Vol. 113; no. 4; pp. 925 - 931
• Main Authors: Borràs, Francesc E., Matthews, Nick C., Lowdell, Mark W., Navarrete, Cristina V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-06-2001; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Antigens, CD - analysis; Apoptosis; B7-2 Antigen; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; CD4 Antigens - analysis; CD40 Antigens - analysis; cord blood; dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Fetal Blood - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; GvHD; Hematology; HLA-DQ Antigens - analysis; Humans; Immunobiology; Integrin alphaXbeta2 - analysis; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; lymphoid DCs; Membrane Glycoproteins - analysis; neonatal; Organs and cells involved in the immune response; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Human; Dendritic cell; Lymphoid cell; Immune response; Immunophenotype; Myeloid cell; Antigen; Blood cell; Alloantigen; Newborn; Immunological investigation; Antigen presenting cell; Umbilical cord; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0007-1048; 1365-2141
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2001.02840.x

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen‐presenting cells described to date. In human peripheral blood, both myeloid and lymphoid subsets of DCs have been identified. In contrast, cord blood (CB) DCs have recently been described as being exclusively of the immature CD11c− lymphoid DC subset. Using an alternative method of enrichment, based on a negative selection system, both lymphoid (HLA‐DR+ CD123+++ CD11c− CD33−) and myeloid (HLA‐DR++ CD123+ CD11c+ CD33+) DCs were identified in CB. Although the majority of CB DCs showed a lymphoid phenotype, a significant number of CD11c+ myeloid DCs (25·6% ± 14·5%, n = 13) were also present. Other markers, such as CD80 and CD83, were negative in both subsets. Analyses of the allostimulatory capacity of both subsets showed that freshly isolated CB lymphoid DCs failed to induce a potent allostimulation of naive CB T cells. These features are therefore consistent with previous work reporting an immature phenotype for lymphoid DCs in adult blood. The significance of the inverted CD11c+/CD11c− ratio observed in CB DCs (1:3) with respect to adult blood DCs (3:1) remains to be explained.