Immunologic properties of human dermal fibroblasts

• Published in: Human immunology 2010-11, Vol.71 (11), p.1089-1098
• Main Authors: Deshpande, Manisha, Tipnis, Shabari, Shetty, Prathibha, Ghosh, Deepa, Viswanathan, Chandra, Majumdar, Anish Sen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Dermis - pathology; Fibroblasts - immunology; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Fibroblasts - pathology; Foreskin - pathology; HLA-DR; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; HLA-DR Antigens - immunology; HLA-DR Antigens - metabolism; Human dermal fibroblasts; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO); Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase - metabolism; Infant, Newborn; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; RNA, Messenger - analysis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes - pathology
• ISSN: 0198-8859; 1879-1166
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2010.08.003

Abstract Human dermal fibroblasts are known not to express human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–DR message or protein in the absence of interferon (IFN)–γ. To use allogeneic dermal fibroblasts for cell therapy, as a revalidation, the cells at passage 12 were analyzed for HLA-DR mRNA and surface protein. Although no significant HLA-DR surface protein was found, HLA-DR mRNA expression was observed, without interferon-γ. At an early passage, although HLA-DR surface protein was not found, prominent expression of HLA-DR mRNA was observed without IFN-γ stimulation, which was not typical of dermal fibroblasts studied so far. Intracytoplasmic HLA-DR protein was also not detected, which suggests that the mRNA was not translated. There was no marked stimulation of T-cell proliferation by the fibroblasts in the absence or presence of IFN-γ. Interestingly, indoleamine dioxygenase, a molecule involved in immunosuppression, was also expressed in dermal fibroblasts in the absence of IFN-γ.