Human CD4+CD103+ cutaneous resident memory T cells are found in the circulation of healthy individuals

MM Klicznik, PA Morawski, B Höllbacher… - Science …, 2019 - science.org
MM Klicznik, PA Morawski, B Höllbacher, SR Varkhande, SJ Motley, L Kuri-Cervantes…
Science immunology, 2019science.org
Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) persist locally in nonlymphoid tissues where they
provide frontline defense against recurring insults. TRM at barrier surfaces express the
markers CD103 and/or CD69, which function to retain them in epithelial tissues. In humans,
neither the long-term migratory behavior of TRM nor their ability to reenter the circulation
and potentially migrate to distant tissue sites has been investigated. Using tissue explant
cultures, we found that CD4+ CD69+ CD103+ TRM in human skin can down-regulate CD69 …
Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) persist locally in nonlymphoid tissues where they provide frontline defense against recurring insults. TRM at barrier surfaces express the markers CD103 and/or CD69, which function to retain them in epithelial tissues. In humans, neither the long-term migratory behavior of TRM nor their ability to reenter the circulation and potentially migrate to distant tissue sites has been investigated. Using tissue explant cultures, we found that CD4+CD69+CD103+ TRM in human skin can down-regulate CD69 and exit the tissue. In addition, we identified a skin-tropic CD4+CD69CD103+ population in human lymph and blood that is transcriptionally, functionally, and clonally related to the CD4+CD69+CD103+ TRM population in the skin. Using a skin xenograft model, we confirmed that a fraction of the human cutaneous CD4+CD103+ TRM population can reenter circulation and migrate to secondary human skin sites where they reassume a TRM phenotype. Thus, our data challenge current concepts regarding the strict tissue compartmentalization of CD4+ T cell memory in humans.
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