1. Expression of E-cadherin by CD8 + T cells promotes their invasion into biliary epithelial cells.
- Author
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Davies SP, Ronca V, Wootton GE, Krajewska NM, Bozward AG, Fiancette R, Patten DA, Yankouskaya K, Reynolds GM, Pat S, Osei-Bordom DC, Richardson N, Grover LM, Weston CJ, and Oo YH
- Subjects
- Humans, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes metabolism, Epithelial Cells metabolism, Cadherins metabolism, Bile Ducts metabolism, Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary pathology
- Abstract
The presence of CD8
+ T cells in the cytoplasm of biliary epithelial cells (BEC) has been correlated with biliary damage associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Here, we characterise the mechanism of CD8+ T cell invasion into BEC. CD8+ T cells observed within BEC were large, eccentric, and expressed E-cadherin, CD103 and CD69. They were also not contained within secondary vesicles. Internalisation required cytoskeletal rearrangements which facilitated contact with BEC. Internalised CD8+ T cells were observed in both non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic diseased liver tissues but enriched in PBC patients, both during active disease and at the time of transplantation. E-cadherin expression by CD8+ T cells correlated with frequency of internalisation of these cells into BEC. E-cadherin+ CD8+ T cells formed β-catenin-associated interactions with BEC, were larger than E-cadherin- CD8+ T cells and invaded into BEC more frequently. Overall, we unveil a distinct cell-in-cell structure process in the liver detailing the invasion of E-cadherin+ CD103+ CD69+ CD8+ T cells into BEC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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