MAIT cells, TCR γδ+ cells and ILCs cells in human breast milk and blood from HIV infected and uninfected women

Abstract

Background: Human breast milk cells remain poorly characterized for the presence of unconventional T lymphocytes and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs).

Methods: Early breast milk was collected from eight HIV-uninfected and 11 HIV-infected women 3-12 days after delivery. Mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells), TCR γδ cells, and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) were analyzed in breast milk and paired blood samples.

Results: CD161+/TRAV1-2 + MAIT cells were detected in breast milk, accounting for a median (IQR) of 0.08% (0.06-0.16) and 0.17% (0.16-0.31) of CD45+ breast milk cells in HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected women, respectively. A selective compartmentalization of γδ T lymphocytes was observed in breast milk. Median (IQR) frequency of γδ T lymphocytes was 8.95% (8.64-12.14) among breast milk lymphocyte cells compared to 2.54% (1.81-4.10) in blood (P = 0.03) in HIV-uninfected women, and 7.26% (4.22-10.54) in breast milk versus 3.31% (2.54-3.80) in blood (P = 0.004) from HIV-infected women. The proportion of group 1 ILC (ILC1) among total ILCs was higher in breast milk compared to blood in HIV-uninfected women (P = 0.03) and HIV-infected women (P = 0.001). The frequency of ILC2 among total ILCs tends to be lower in breast milk compared to blood in HIV-uninfected women (P = 0.06) and HIV-infected women (P = 0.03).

Conclusion: Unconventional T cells and ILCs that may be involved in both the protection against infection of the lactating mammary gland and maturation of infant's gut and microbiomes account for a detectable fraction of breast milk cells.

Keywords: HIV transmission; ILCs; TCR γδ; breast milk; mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue cells.