In Vivo Imaging of CD8+ T-Cell‒Mediated Keratinocyte Apoptosis in Graft-Versus-Host Disease‒Like Dermatitis in Involucrin Membrane-Bound Ovalbumin Mice

Abstract

In the skin lesions of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), apoptotic keratinocytes (KCs) in the vicinity of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) or satellite cell necrosis are a characteristic histologic feature ( Rapini, 2012 Rapini R.P. Practical dermatopathology. Elsevier Health Sciences, Edinburgh, Scotland2012 Google Scholar ). Despite sparse lymphocytic exocytosis histologically, CTLs play a major role in KC apoptosis with the release of cytotoxic granules and cytokines, such as granzyme B and IFN-γ respectively, toward the target cells ( Henden and Hill, 2015 Henden A.S. Hill G.R. Cytokines in graft-versus-host disease. J Immunol. 2015; 194: 4604-4612 Crossref PubMed Scopus (120) Google Scholar ). However, the actual in vivo dynamics of CTLs in the process of KC apoptosis in GVHD have largely remained unclear.