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Clusterin in human gut-associated lymphoid tissue, tonsils, and adenoids: localization to M cells and follicular dendritic cells

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Abstract

The follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) overlying the follicles of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue is a key player in the initiation of mucosal immune responses. We recently reported strong clusterin expression in the FAE of murine Peyer’s patches. In this study, we examined the expression of clusterin in the human gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and Waldeyer’s ring. Immunohistochemistry for clusterin in human Peyer’s patches, appendix and colon lymphoid follicles revealed expression in M cells and in follicular dendritic cells (FDCs). Using cryo-immunogold electron microscopy in Peyer’s patches, we observed cytosolic immunoreactivity in M cells and labeling in the ER/Golgi biosynthetic pathway in FDCs. In palatine tonsils and adenoids, we demonstrated clusterin expression in germinal centers and in the lymphoepithelium in the crypts where M cells are localized. In conclusion, clusterin is expressed in M cells and follicular dendritic cells at inductive sites of human mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue suggesting a role for this protein in innate immune responses. Moreover, the use of clusterin as a human M cell marker could prove to be a valuable tool in future M cell research.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Ph.D. (PV) and a postdoctoral (WW) grant of the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Vlaanderen), a BOF grant (2005/GOA/012) of Ghent University, and an FWO travel grant (V4/155B-MW.D1). P. Kujala was supported by EU grant Anteprion LSHB-CT-2006 019090 that was assigned to P. Peters. We are grateful to Betty Deprest, Isabelle Rottiers, and Dorothea Vanlimbergen for technical assistance and to Lenny Brocks and Lauran Oomen for assistance with the Axiovert microscope. We would also like to thank Prof. Pattyn (Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Ghent) and the pathology assistants (University Hospital Ghent) for providing surgical tissues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Phebe Verbrugghe & Claude A. Cuvelier

  2. Tumor biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Pekka Kujala & Peter J. Peters

  3. Department of Pathology, University Hospital Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium

    Wim Waelput

  4. Department of Pathology, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Claude A. Cuvelier

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  1. Phebe Verbrugghe
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  2. Pekka Kujala
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  5. Claude A. Cuvelier
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Correspondence to Claude A. Cuvelier.

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Verbrugghe, P., Kujala, P., Waelput, W. et al. Clusterin in human gut-associated lymphoid tissue, tonsils, and adenoids: localization to M cells and follicular dendritic cells. Histochem Cell Biol 129, 311–320 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-007-0369-4

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