MHC class II expression and antigen presentation by human endometrial cells

It has been demonstrated previously that mixed cell suspensions from the fe male reproductive tract consisting of human epithelial and stromal cells we re capable of presenting foreign antigen to autologous T cells. There have been, however, no reported studies examining antigen presentation by isolat ed epithelial cells from the human female reproductive tract. It is now sho wn that freshly isolated epithelial cells from the uterine endometrium cons titutively express MHC class II antigen and that class II was upregulated o n cultured epithelium by interferon gamma (IFN gamma). Using a highly purif ied preparation, it was demonstrated that these epithelial cells were able to process and present tetanus toroid recall antigen driving autologous T c ell proliferation. Cells isolated from the basolateral sub-epithelium strom a were also potent antigen presenting cells in this model system. Thus, iso lated endometrial epithelial cells were able to directly process and presen t antigen to T cells and may be responsible for the transcytosis and delive ry of antigen to professional antigen presenting cells found in the sub-epi thelial stroma. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.