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MDSCs: friend or foe in systemic lupus erythematosus

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 16, pages 937–939 (2019)Cite this article

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Meyoid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous myeloid cell populations that expand in pathological conditions such as cancer, autoimmunity, and infection; these cells are also known to exert strong immunosuppressive effects on primitive T-cell responses.1 MDSCs are derived from myeloid progenitors and are arrested at an immature phase of differentiation. In mice, normal bone marrow contains ~20–30% cells exhibiting the MDSC phenotype.2 In contrast, a very low number of MDSCs are found in naive spleens (2–4%), and these cells are completely absent in lymph nodes.2

Although MDSCs are phenotypically and functionally highly heterogeneous, various types of MDSCs have been identified based on the expression of distinct cell surface markers.3 Traditionally, these cells are broadly characterized on the basis of coexpressing Gr-1 and CD11b in mice.4 MDSCs can be further subdivided into granulocytic or polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs, CD11b+ Ly6G+ Ly6C−) and monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSC, CD11b+ Ly6G− Ly6Chi).4 In mice, PMN-MDSCs are phenotypically and morphologically similar to neutrophils, but PMN-MDSCs can also express other markers not normally present on neutrophils, such as CD115 and CD244.2 M-MDSCs are defined as CD11b+ Ly6G– Ly6Chi cells exhibiting low side scatter, and this is also the classic phenotype of monocytes present in mice.2 In addition, M-MDSCs can also express other typical markers, such as CD115, Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor (CCR)2, and CD49d2 but lack surface markers of mature monocytes such as CD11c and MHC II.2 In humans, the equivalent of PMN-MDSCs and M-MDSCs has been found in the high-density fraction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).2 PMN-MDSCs and neutrophils share a similar phenotype, specifically CD11b+ CD14– CD15+ (or CD66b+) CD33+.2 The phenotypic marker for human M-MDSC subsets in peripheral blood is CD11b+ CD14+ HLA-DR–/lowCD15–.2,3

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (Grant number BK20180825). This work was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872732).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Jianjian Ji, Pengfei Li

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pediatric Respiratory Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 210023, Nanjing, China

    Jianjian Ji & Cunsi Shen

  2. The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Immunology and Hospital of Stomatology, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Jianjian Ji, Huan Dou, Tingting Wang & Yayi Hou

  3. Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Immunoregulation, School of Medical and Life Science, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 210046, Nanjing, China

    Jianjian Ji & Liyun Shi

  4. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China

    Pengfei Li

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Correspondence to Liyun Shi or Yayi Hou.

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Ji, J., Li, P., Shen, C. et al. MDSCs: friend or foe in systemic lupus erythematosus. Cell Mol Immunol 16, 937–939 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-019-0271-8

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