Low expression of CD40 and B7 on macrophages infiltrating UV-exposed human skin; role in IL-2Ralpha-T cell activation.

After UV exposure of skin, epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are depleted, whereas CD11b+CD36 CD1a- monocytes/macrophages (UV-Mphi) infiltrate. Different immunological outcomes in vivo are mediated by LC (sensitization) and UV-Mphi (tolerance) which may be related to the distinct T cell activation states that these antigen-presenting cells (APC) induce. We previously demonstrated that CD4+ T lymphocytes activated by UV-Mphi are, in contrast to LC-activated T cells, IL-2Ralpha deficient, and we hypothesize that this differential T cell activation is related to differences in co-stimulatory molecules between UV-Mphi and LC. Using four-color flow cytometry, we found a reduced capacity to up-regulate expression of the important co-stimulatory molecules CD40, B7-1 and B7-2 by UV-Mphi relative to LC. This alteration in co-stimulatory molecule expression was selective, because UV-Mphi express equal levels of ICAM-1 and ICAM-3, and increased levels of LFA-1, relative to LC. After bidirectional signaling with T cells during alloantigen presentation, UV-Mphi still exhibited less CD40 and B7-1 than LC. Addition of IFN-gamma induced CD40 and B7-1 expression on UV-Mphi and restored IL-2Ralpha expression on UV-Mphi-activated T cells but had no effect on IL-2Ralpha on resting or LC-activated T cells. The restoration of IL-2Ralpha expression on UV-Mphi-activated T cells by IFN-gamma was inhibited (67 %, p = 0.005) by addition of neutralizing anti-CD40. Therefore, differences in co-stimulatory molecule expression, in particular CD40, on UV-Mphi and LC are critical in determining the distinct T cell activation induced by these APC.