Tissue inflammation modulates gene expression of lymphatic endothelial cells and dendritic cell migration in a stimulus-dependent manner

Blood. 2011 Jul 7;118(1):205-15. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-12-326447. Epub 2011 May 19.

Abstract

Chemokines and adhesion molecules up-regulated in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) during tissue inflammation are thought to enhance dendritic cell (DC) migration to draining lymph nodes, but the in vivo control of this process is not well understood. We performed a transcriptional profiling analysis of LECs isolated from murine skin and found that inflammation induced by a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response up-regulated the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and inflammatory chemokines. Importantly, the lymphatic markers Prox-1, VEGFR3, and LYVE-1 were significantly down-regulated during CHS. By contrast, skin inflammation induced by complete Freund adjuvant induced a different pattern of chemokine and lymphatic marker gene expression and almost no ICAM-1 up-regulation in LECs. Fluorescein isothiocyanate painting experiments revealed that DC migration to draining lymph nodes was more strongly increased in complete Freund adjuvant-induced than in CHS-induced inflammation. Surprisingly, DC migration did not correlate with the induction of CCL21 and ICAM-1 protein in LECs. Although the requirement for CCR7 signaling became further pronounced during inflammation, CCR7-independent signals had an additional, albeit moderate, impact on enhancing DC migration. Collectively, these findings indicate that DC migration in response to inflammation is stimulus-specific, mainly CCR7-dependent, and overall only moderately enhanced by LEC-induced genes other than CCL21.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / immunology*
  • Chemokine CCL21 / genetics
  • Chemokine CCL21 / immunology
  • Chemokine CCL21 / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dermatitis, Contact / immunology*
  • Ear, External / immunology
  • Endothelial Cells / immunology*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / immunology
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / genetics
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / immunology
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Lymph Nodes / cytology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Receptors, CCR7 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR7 / immunology
  • Receptors, CCR7 / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation / immunology
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / genetics
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / immunology
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Ccr7 protein, mouse
  • Chemokine CCL21
  • Icam1 protein, mouse
  • Receptors, CCR7
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1