Migration and maturation of human dendritic cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii depend on parasite strain type.

Migration and maturation of human dendritic cells derived from CD34+ progenitor cells (DC) infected by Toxoplasma gondii were studied in an in vitro model. We demonstrated that infection with virulent type I strains RH and ENT or type II low virulent strains PRU and CAL induced DC migration towards MIP-3beta. However, type II strains induced a higher percentage of migrating cells than that induced by type I strains or positive controls (chemical allergen or lipopolysaccharides).

Relationship between expression of matrix metalloproteinases and migration of epidermal and in vitro generated Langerhans cells.

Langerhans cells (LC) are dendritic cells that capture foreign antigens and migrate with them to the regional lymph nodes where they are presented to naive T cells. The possible role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in migration was suggested following experiments in a mouse model and in human skin explants. Using in vitro generated LC (iLC) derived from CD34+ cord blood cells and epidermal LC (eLC), we investigated the correlation between MMP-9 and other MMPs production and cell migration.