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(Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2005;78:1142-1152.)
© 2005 by Society for Leukocyte Biology

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) are the major DC subset innately producing cytokines in human lymph nodes

Karina Cox*, Margaret North*, Michael Burke{dagger}, Hemant Singhal{dagger}, Sophie Renton{dagger}, Nayef Aqel{ddagger}, Sabita Islam* and Stella C. Knight*,1

* Antigen Presentation Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Northwick Park and St. Marks Campus, Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom; Departments of
{dagger} Surgery and
{ddagger} Pathology, Northwest London Hospitals NHS Trust, Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom

1Correspondence: Antigen Presentation Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Northwick Park, and St. Mark’s Campus, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ, UK. E-mail: s.knight{at}imperial.ac.uk

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) constitute a distinct subset of DC found in human peripheral lymph nodes (LN), but little is known about their function. Cell suspensions were prepared from tumor draining LN (n=20) and control LN (n=11) of women undergoing surgical resection for primary breast cancer and elective surgery for benign conditions, respectively. Using four-color flow cytometry, human leukocyte antigen-DR+ DC subsets were identified phenotypically. The proportions and numbers of cells innately producing interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12, and interferon-{gamma} (IFN-{gamma}) were also measured from intracellular accumulation of cytokine after blocking with monensin. All flow cytometry data were collected without compensation and were compensated off-line using the Winlist algorithm (Verity software). This package also provided the subtraction program to calculate percentage positive cells and intensity of staining. PDC (CD11c–, CD123+) expressed more cytokines than did myeloid DC (CD11c+) or CD1a+ putative "migratory" DC (P<0.001). LN PDC from patients with a good prognosis (px; n=11) demonstrated a relative increase in IL-12 and IFN-{gamma} expression (median IL-10:IL-12 ratio=0.78 and median IL-4:IFN-{gamma} ratio=0.7), and PDC from LN draining poor px cancer (n=9) showed a relative increase in IL-10 and IL-4 expression (median IL-10:IL-12 ratio=1.31 and median IL-4:IFN-{gamma} ratio=2.6). The difference in IL-4:IFN-{gamma} expression between good and poor px cancer groups was significant (P<0.05). Thus, PDC innately producing cytokines were identified in cell suspensions from human LN, and the character of PDC cytokine secretion may differ between two breast cancer prognostic groups. We speculate that a shift towards PDC IL-10 and IL-4 expression could promote tumor tolerance in LN draining poor px breast cancer.

Key Words: flow cytometry • DC subpopulations • intracellular cytokines • tumor immunity