Innate immune mediator profiles and their regulation in a novel polarized immortalized epithelial cell model derived from human endocervix

Buckner, Lyndsey R.; Schust, Danny J.; Ding, Jian; Nagamatsu, Takeshi; Beatty, Wandy; Chang, Theresa L.; Greene, Sheila J.; Lewis, Maria E.; Ruiz, Bernardo; Holman, Stacey L.; Spagnuolo, Rae Ann; Pyles, Richard B.; Quayle, Alison J.

doi:10.1016/j.jri.2011.08.002

« Previous Next »Journal of Reproductive Immunology
Volume 92, Issue 1 , Pages 8-20, December 2011

Innate immune mediator profiles and their regulation in a novel polarized immortalized epithelial cell model derived from human endocervix

Lyndsey R. Buckner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-1393, USA
Danny J. Schust
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
Jian Ding
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
Takeshi Nagamatsu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
Wandy Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Theresa L. Chang
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
Sheila J. Greene
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-1393, USA
Maria E. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-1393, USA
Bernardo Ruiz
- Department of Pathology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Stacey L. Holman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Rae Ann Spagnuolo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Richard B. Pyles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Alison J. Quayle
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-1393, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 504 568 4070; fax: +1 504 568 2918.

Received 12 May 2011; received in revised form 3 August 2011; accepted 5 August 2011. published online 05 September 2011.

Abstract

The endocervix in the female reproductive tract (FRT) is susceptible to sexually transmitted pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Endocervical epithelial cells in vivo make innate immune mediators that likely aid in the protection from these pathogens. In vitro studies to investigate the innate epithelial cell immune response to endocervical pathogens have been hindered by the paucity of human endocervix-derived epithelial cell lines that display the differentiation proteins and functional characteristics of their site of origin. We have established an immortalized epithelial cell line (A2EN) derived from an endocervical tissue explant that can be polarized to exhibit distinct apical and basolateral membrane domains. Polarized A2EN cells secrete mucus at their apical surface, and express MUC5B, a mucin specific to the endocervix. Polarized A2EN cells also express hormone receptors that respond appropriately to female steroid hormones. Polarized A2EN cells can be stimulated with the toll-like receptor 3 agonist, polyI:C, to express anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Cytokines and chemokines are also differentially secreted depending on the hormone milieu in which the cells are exposed. We conclude that polarized A2EN cells maintain distinctive phenotypic and functional characteristics of the epithelial cells found in the endocervix and, hence, could provide a useful, new in vitro model system for investigations on the role of endogenous and exogenous factors that regulate endocervical epithelial cell immunity including studies on sexually transmitted infections and topical microbicides.

Keywords: Anti-microbial peptide, Cytokine, Female genital tract, Hormone