{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:16:53Z","timestamp":1787026613641,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]],"date-time":"2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756771200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n \n Immunity in the vaginal mucosa (VM) is of critical importance for the protection from infections and cancers. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the major antigen-presenting cells that can induce and control T cell responses. Interestingly, VM Langerhans cells (vLCs) and VM CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n DCs (vDCs) polarize CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cells toward Th2-type. However, the mechanisms underlying Th2 polarization by vDCs remain unknown.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n OX40L expression was determined in the human VM tissue sections, followed by the measurement of OX40L expression on vLCs, CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDCs, and VM macrophages (vM\u00d8s) by flow cytometry. The roles of OX40L on vDC subsets in the induction of different types of CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cell responses were assessed.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Both vLCs and CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDCs express surface OX40L. Neutralizing OX40L with anti-OX40L antibody significantly decreased the frequency of Th2-type CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cells with a reduction of CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cell proliferation, while increasing the frequency of IL - 10-producing CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cell responses. Anti-OX40L did not affect vLC- or CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDC-induced Th1-type T cell responses. OX40L also contributed to the induction of IL - 21\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cell responses by vLCs and CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDCs. In contrast to vLCs and CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDCs, vM\u00d8s expressed a minimal level of surface OX40L. Likewise, anti-OX40L did not significantly affect vM\u00d8-induced CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cell responses.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n \n OX40L contributes to vLC- and CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDC-induced Th2 polarization. It also significantly affects the frequency of vLC- and CD1c\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD14\n -<\/jats:sup>\n vDC-induced IL - 10\n +<\/jats:sup>\n and IL - 21\n +<\/jats:sup>\n CD4\n +<\/jats:sup>\n T cells. This study provides new insights into the immunological landscape of the human VM tissues, with implications for the development of targeted immunomodulatory strategies at this mucosal site.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1657115","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]],"date-time":"2025-09-02T05:34:25Z","timestamp":1756791265000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Dendritic cells in the human vaginal mucosa can direct CD4+ T cell responses by expressing surface OX40L"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"HyeMee","family":"Joo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laurie","family":"Baert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agnes","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorothee","family":"Duluc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Johnny","family":"Yi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"SangKon","family":"Oh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jri.2009.07.005","article-title":"Mucosal immunology of the genital and gastrointestinal tracts and HIV - 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