T cells retain the ability to mediate tissue repair in severely inflamed human mucosa 4217

Abstract Description T cells play a key role in driving as well as resolving tissue inflammation. Whether the compositional and functional properties of the T cell compartment change as tissues progress from a mildly to severely inflamed state is still poorly understood. Inflammation could be at least in part driven by the gain of T cell effector function, the loss of suppression and tissue healing functions, or by other mechanisms. Importantly, these changes could occur concurrently and across different T cell subsets highlighting the need to holistically interrogate the T cell compartment. To facilitate such comprehensive analyses, we have developed a 37-color spectral flow cytometry panel. We use this to interrogate phenotype (ex vivo) and function (upon stimulation) from surgically discarded oral mucosa tissue from routine periodontic procedures, ranging from mildly inflamed (gingivitis), to severely inflamed (periodontitis). We found that T cell subset frequencies and functional abilities remain largely consistent between mucosal tissues of various states of inflammation. This includes regulatory CD4 T cells, indicating that pathology is not driven by a lack of suppression. Notably, markers of tissue healing ability are maintained during severe inflammation. Overall, our data suggest that human mucosal T cells preserve the functional capacity to mediate tissue repair even in severely inflamed tissues, indicating that repair functions are intact and could be elicited by therapeutic targeting. Funding Sources 1R56DE032009 5R01AI123323 Topic Categories Mucosal and Regional Immunology (MUC)