The human memory T cell compartment changes across tissues of the female reproductive tract

Memory CD4 T cells in tissues fulfill numerous functions that are critical for local immune homeostasis and protection against pathogens. Previous studies have highlighted the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of circulating and tissue-resident memory CD4 T cells across different human tissues such as skin, lung, liver, and colon. Comparatively little is known in regard to memory CD4 T cells across tissues of the female reproductive tract (FRT). We examined CD4 T cells in donor-matched vaginal, ecto- and endocervical tissues, which differ in mucosal structure and exposure to external environmental stimuli. We hypothesized that this could be reflected by tissue-specific differences in the memory CD4 T cell compartment. We found differences in CD4 subset distribution across these tissues. Specifically, CD69(+)CD103(+) CD4 T cells were significantly more abundant in vaginal than cervical tissues. In contrast, the transcriptional profiles of CD4 subsets were fairly conserved across FRT tissues. CD69(+)CD103(+) CD4 T cells showed a T(H)17 bias independent of tissue niche. Our data suggest that FRT tissues affect T cell subset distribution but have limited effects on the transcriptome of each subset. We discuss the implications for barrier immunity in the FRT.

Automated summary

Memory CD4 T cells in tissues exhibit differences in subset distribution across the female reproductive tract, with higher abundance of CD69(+)CD103(+) cells in the vaginal tissue compared to cervical tissues. However, the transcriptional profiles of CD4 subsets remain fairly consistent across FRT tissues. These findings suggest that FRT tissues impact T cell subset distribution but have limited effects on the transcriptome of each subset, with implications for barrier immunity in the FRT.