Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-7-8
pubmed:abstractText
Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) can produce various antimicrobial and proinflammatory effector molecules. This, together with their abundance and strategic location, suggests a role in host defense against pulmonary pathogens. We report that murine type II AEC, like their human counterparts, express class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Using a murine model of pulmonary tuberculosis, we find that type II AEC become activated and have increased cell surface expression of class II MHC, CD54, and CD95 following infection. Type II AEC use the class II MHC pathway to process and present mycobacterial antigens to immune CD4+ T cells isolated from mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, not only can type II AEC contribute to the pulmonary immunity by secreting chemokines that recruit inflammatory cells to the lung, but they can also serve as antigen-presenting cells. Although type II AEC are unlikely to prime naïve T cells, their ability to present antigens to T cells demonstrates that they can participate in the effector phase of the immune response. This represents a novel role for type II AEC in the immunological response to pulmonary pathogens.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
1040-0605
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
289
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
L274-9
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Primary type II alveolar epithelial cells present microbial antigens to antigen-specific CD4+ T cells.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Rheumatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Smith Bldg., Rm. 516, 1 Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural