Do Liver Mucosa-Associated Invariant T Cells Delay Hepatitis C Progression, or Are They Innocent Bystanders?

Mondelli, Mario U.

doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.09.027

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 20 publications

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“…When they were first discovered, MAIT cells were localized in the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa in relative abundance [7]. Currently, it is well known that MAIT cells are significantly frequent in the colon, peripheral blood, lungs, liver, pancreas, and lymph nodes of humans as well as mice [20][21][22][23]. In humans, they are particularly enriched in the liver where they account for up to 50% of the total resident T cell population [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathophysiological Roles of Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells in the Context of Gut Microbiota-Liver Axis

et al. 2021

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Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a subset of T lymphocytes expressing a semi-invariant T-cell receptor (TCR) present as TCR Vα7.2-Jα33 in humans and TCR Vα19-Jα33 in mice. They are activated by ligands produced during microbial biosynthesis of riboflavin that is presented by major histocompatibility complex class I-related (MR1) molecules on antigen-presenting cells. MAIT cells also possess interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 receptors and can be activated by the respective cytokines released from microbially stimulated antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, MAIT cells can be involved in bacterial and viral defenses and are a significant part of the human immune system. They are particularly abundant in the liver, an organ serving as the second firewall of gut microbes next to the intestinal barrier. Therefore, the immune functions of MAIT cells are greatly impacted by changes in the gut-microbiota and play important roles in the gut-liver pathogenesis axis. In this review, we discuss the nature and mechanisms of MAIT cell activation and their dynamics during different types of liver pathogenesis conditions. We also share our perspectives on important aspects that should be explored further to reveal the exact roles that MAIT cells play in liver pathogenesis in the context of the gut microbiota.

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