MHC-II Expression on Oral Langerhans Cells Differentially Regulates Mucosal CD4 and CD8 T Cells

In murine periodontitis, the Th17 response against Porphyromonas gingivalis in CLN is abrogated by diphtheria toxin-driven depletion of Langerhans cells (LCs). We determined the impact of MHC-II presentation in LCs on Th17 cells in the oral mucosa of mice. Using an established human-Langerin promoter-Cre mouse model we generated LC-specific deletion of the H2-Ab1 (MHC-II) gene. MHC-II expression was ablated in 81.2% of oral-resident LCs compared to>99% of skin-resident LCs. MHC-II (LC ΔMHC-II) depletion did not reduce the number of CD4 T cells nor the frequency of Th17 cells when compared to wild-type mice.
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research