Common variable immunodeficiency revisited: normal generation of naturally occurring dendritic cells that respond to Toll-like receptors 7 and 9

Clin Exp Immunol. 2014 Mar;175(3):439-48. doi: 10.1111/cei.12239.

Abstract

Patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) have reduced numbers and frequencies of dendritic cells (DCs) in blood, and there is also evidence for defective activation through Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Collectively, these observations may point to a primary defect in the generation of functional DCs. Here, we measured frequencies of plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and myeloid DCs (mDCs) in peripheral blood of 26 CVID patients and 16 healthy controls. The results show that the patients have reduced absolute counts of both subsets. However, the decreased numbers in peripheral blood were not reflected in reduced frequencies of CD34(+) pDC progenitors in the bone marrow. Moreover, studies at the single cell level showed that DCs from CVID patients and healthy controls produced similar amounts of interferon-α or interleukin-12 and expressed similar levels of activation markers in response to human cytomegalovirus and ligands for TLR-7 and TLR-9. The study represents the most thorough functional characterization to date, and the first to assess bone marrow progenitor output, of naturally occurring DCs in CVID. In conclusion, it seems unlikely that CVID is secondary to insufficient production of naturally occurring DCs or a defect in their signalling through TLR-7 or TLR-9.

Keywords: IFN-α; TLR-9; bone marrow; common variable immunodeficiency; plasmacytoid dendritic cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Cell Count
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Common Variable Immunodeficiency / immunology*
  • Common Variable Immunodeficiency / metabolism*
  • Cytomegalovirus / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Female
  • HLA-DR Antigens / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / metabolism
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand / metabolism
  • Intestine, Small / cytology
  • Intestine, Small / metabolism
  • L-Selectin / metabolism
  • Ligands
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptors, CCR7 / metabolism
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptor 7 / metabolism*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9 / metabolism*

Substances

  • HLA-DR Antigens
  • ICOSLG protein, human
  • Imidazoles
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand
  • Ligands
  • Receptors, CCR7
  • Toll-Like Receptor 7
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9
  • L-Selectin
  • resiquimod