Involvements of γδT Lymphocytes in Acute and Chronic Skin Wound Repair

Wound healing involves three stages including inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. The underlying mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. The inflammation is characterized by spatially and temporally changing patterns of various leukocyte subsets. It is regarded as the most crucial stage since the inflammatory response is instrumental to supplying various factors and cytokines that orchestrate healing events. As a subtype of T lymphocytes, gamma delta T cells play an important role in skin homeostasis, tumor immunosurveillance, and wound repair. However, either the dynamics of gamma delta T cells in healing process or the anticipated association of gamma delta T cells with chronic or refractory wounds were not well understood. In this study, we determine the dynamics of gamma delta T cells and gamma delta T cell-produced effectors during acute and chronic wound repair by establishing a third-degree burn model in mice skin or human skin from diabetic patients. Our data show that the involvement of gamma delta T cells in acute and chronic skin wound healing. The protein levels and mRNA expressions of gamma delta T cell-produced effectors were increased in acute healing model, whereas those effectors were decreased in chronic repair, suggesting gamma delta T cells are essential for wound repair. This study probes into the significant relevance of gamma delta T cells with effective wound repair and provides new enlightenments for the mechanisms of the formation of chronic and/or refractory wounds.