Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM, U932, Paris, France.
Methods Mol Biol. 2022;2380:125-139. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1736-6_11.
CD4 T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are essential for initiating and regulating efficient humoral responses in secondary lymphoid organs. Tfh polarization and differentiation is driven by multiple stimuli delivered by antigen presenting cells (APCs). APCs represent a complex population of immune cells, comprising several subpopulations (dendritic cells and macrophages) that are distinguished by their phenotype, ontogeny, and functions. In order to better identify and understand the role of the different APC subsets in human Tfh biology, we have used in vitro assays based on the co-culture of APCs and T cells. This chapter describes two complementary protocols. The first protocol describes an assay to study the capacity of APCs to drive Tfh polarization from naive CD4 T cells. The second protocol is designed to address the role of APCs in modulating effector functions of mature Tfh cells.
CD4+ 滤泡辅助性（Tfh）细胞对于在次级淋巴器官中启动和调节有效的体液免疫反应至关重要。Tfh 极化和分化是由抗原呈递细胞（APC）提供的多种刺激驱动的。APC 代表了一个复杂的免疫细胞群体，包括几个亚群（树突状细胞和巨噬细胞），它们的表型、发生和功能不同。为了更好地识别和理解不同 APC 亚群在人类 Tfh 生物学中的作用，我们使用了基于 APC 和 T 细胞共培养的体外测定法。本章描述了两种互补的方案。第一个方案描述了一种测定法，用于研究 APC 从初始 CD4+T 细胞中驱动 Tfh 极化的能力。第二个方案旨在解决 APC 在调节成熟 Tfh 细胞的效应功能中的作用。
