Frontiers in Immunology (Jan 2023)

Type 2 and type 17 effector cells are increased in the duodenal mucosa but not peripheral blood of patients with functional dyspepsia

  • Grace L. Burns,
  • Grace L. Burns,
  • Grace L. Burns,
  • Jessica K. Bruce,
  • Jessica K. Bruce,
  • Jessica K. Bruce,
  • Kyra Minahan,
  • Kyra Minahan,
  • Kyra Minahan,
  • Andrea Mathe,
  • Andrea Mathe,
  • Thomas Fairlie,
  • Thomas Fairlie,
  • Thomas Fairlie,
  • Raquel Cameron,
  • Raquel Cameron,
  • Raquel Cameron,
  • Crystal Naudin,
  • Crystal Naudin,
  • Prema M. Nair,
  • Prema M. Nair,
  • Prema M. Nair,
  • Michael D. E. Potter,
  • Michael D. E. Potter,
  • Michael D. E. Potter,
  • Mudar Zand Irani,
  • Mudar Zand Irani,
  • Mudar Zand Irani,
  • Steven Bollipo,
  • Steven Bollipo,
  • Robert Foster,
  • Lay T. Gan,
  • Ayesha Shah,
  • Ayesha Shah,
  • Ayesha Shah,
  • Natasha A. Koloski,
  • Natasha A. Koloski,
  • Natasha A. Koloski,
  • Paul S. Foster,
  • Paul S. Foster,
  • Jay C. Horvat,
  • Jay C. Horvat,
  • Martin Veysey,
  • Martin Veysey,
  • Gerald Holtmann,
  • Gerald Holtmann,
  • Gerald Holtmann,
  • Nick Powell,
  • Marjorie M. Walker,
  • Marjorie M. Walker,
  • Marjorie M. Walker,
  • Nicholas J. Talley,
  • Nicholas J. Talley,
  • Nicholas J. Talley,
  • Simon Keely,
  • Simon Keely,
  • Simon Keely

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1051632
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundFunctional dyspepsia is characterised by chronic symptoms of post-prandial distress or epigastric pain not associated with defined structural pathology. Increased peripheral gut-homing T cells have been previously identified in patients. To date, it is unknown if these T cells were antigen-experienced, or if a specific phenotype was associated with FD.ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterise T cell populations in the blood and duodenal mucosa of FD patients that may be implicated in disease pathophysiology.MethodsWe identified duodenal T cell populations from 23 controls and 49 Rome III FD patients by flow cytometry using a surface marker antibody panel. We also analysed T cell populations in peripheral blood from 37 controls and 61 patients. Where available, we examined the number of duodenal eosinophils in patients and controls.ResultsThere was a shift in the duodenal T helper cell balance in FD patients compared to controls. For example, patients had increased duodenal mucosal Th2 populations in the effector (13.03 ± 16.11, 19.84 ± 15.51, p=0.038), central memory (23.75 ± 18.97, 37.52 ± 17.51, p=0.007) and effector memory (9.80±10.50 vs 20.53±14.15, p=0.001) populations. Th17 populations were also increased in the effector (31.74±24.73 vs 45.57±23.75, p=0.03) and effector memory (11.95±8.42 vs 18.44±15.63, p=0.027) subsets. Peripheral T cell populations were unchanged between FD and control.ConclusionOur findings identify an association between lymphocyte populations and FD, specifically a Th2 and Th17 signature in the duodenal mucosa. The presence of effector and memory cells suggest that the microinflammation in FD is antigen driven.

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