Neonatal T-cell maturation and homing receptor responses to Toll-like receptor ligands differ from those of adult naive T cells: relationship to prematurity.
Pediatr Res 2012;
71:136-43. [PMID:
22258123 PMCID:
PMC3394681 DOI:
10.1038/pr.2011.26]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Inflammation and infection are associated with premature birth and with activation of the fetal immune system. We hypothesized that exposure to microbial Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands plays an important role in neonatal T-cell maturation and that early exposure to microbial products may result in early T-cell maturation and a tendency for these matured effector cells to change their homing receptor patterns.
RESULTS
Expression of the CD45RO marker was induced in term neonatal T cells after in vitro exposure to TLR ligands for 7 days. Interestingly, naive T cells from adult blood were unaffected by TLR ligand exposure. In addition, neonatal T cells had more cells with decreased expression of the α4β7 integrins and increased expression of CCR4 after in vitro exposure of TLR ligands-similar to the expression of these molecules in adult naive T cells.
DISCUSSION
These findings are relevant for the understanding of neonatal T-cell maturation and may contribute to our understanding of multiorgan inflammatory complications of prematurity.
METHODS
Cord blood was obtained from term and preterm infants. Using flow cytometry, we identified a mature (CD45RO(+)) phenotype in preterm infant cord blood (CB) T cells that had decreased expression of the α4β7 integrins and increased expression of the C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) as compared with term infant CB.
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