TY - JOUR
T1 - Antigen-specific decidual CD8+ T cells include distinct effector memory and tissue-resident memory cells
AU - Mahajan, Shweta
AU - Alexander, Aria
AU - Koenig, Zachary
AU - Saba, Nicholas
AU - Prasanphanich, Nina
AU - Hildeman, David A.
AU - Chougnet, Claire A.
AU - DeFranco, Emily
AU - Andorf, Sandra
AU - Tilburgs, Tamara
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright: © 2023, Mahajan et al.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Maternal decidual CD8+ T cells must integrate the antithetical demands of providing immunity to infection while maintaining immune tolerance for fetal and placental antigens. Human decidual CD8+ T cells were shown to be highly differentiated memory T cells with mixed signatures of dysfunction, activation, and effector function. However, no information is present on how specificity for microbial or fetal antigens relates to their function or dysfunction. In addition, a key question, whether decidual CD8+ T cells include unique tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) or also effector memory T cell (Tem) types shared with peripheral blood populations, is unknown. Here, high-dimensional flow cytometry of decidual and blood CD8+ T cells identified 2 Tem populations shared in blood and decidua and 9 functionally distinct Trm clusters uniquely found in decidua. Interestingly, fetus- and virus-specific decidual CD8+ Trm cells had similar features of inhibition and cytotoxicity, with no significant differences in their expression of activation, inhibitory, and cytotoxic molecules, suggesting that not all fetus-specific CD8+ T cell responses are suppressed at the maternal-fetal interface. Understanding how decidual CD8+ T cell specificity relates to their function and tissue residency is crucial in advancing understanding of their contribution to placental inflammation and control of congenital infections.
AB - Maternal decidual CD8+ T cells must integrate the antithetical demands of providing immunity to infection while maintaining immune tolerance for fetal and placental antigens. Human decidual CD8+ T cells were shown to be highly differentiated memory T cells with mixed signatures of dysfunction, activation, and effector function. However, no information is present on how specificity for microbial or fetal antigens relates to their function or dysfunction. In addition, a key question, whether decidual CD8+ T cells include unique tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) or also effector memory T cell (Tem) types shared with peripheral blood populations, is unknown. Here, high-dimensional flow cytometry of decidual and blood CD8+ T cells identified 2 Tem populations shared in blood and decidua and 9 functionally distinct Trm clusters uniquely found in decidua. Interestingly, fetus- and virus-specific decidual CD8+ Trm cells had similar features of inhibition and cytotoxicity, with no significant differences in their expression of activation, inhibitory, and cytotoxic molecules, suggesting that not all fetus-specific CD8+ T cell responses are suppressed at the maternal-fetal interface. Understanding how decidual CD8+ T cell specificity relates to their function and tissue residency is crucial in advancing understanding of their contribution to placental inflammation and control of congenital infections.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170166211&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85170166211&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1172/jci.insight.171806
DO - 10.1172/jci.insight.171806
M3 - Article
C2 - 37681414
AN - SCOPUS:85170166211
VL - 8
JO - JCI insight
JF - JCI insight
IS - 17
M1 - e171806
ER -