Isolation and characterization of rhesus blood dendritic cells using flow cytometry

Recognition of dendritic cells (DCs) as initiators and modulators of immune responses and growing use of rhesus monkeys for the preclinical optimization of vaccine formulations prompted characterization of the phenotype and function of isolated rhesus peripheral blood DCs. We developed a flow cytometric method to directly identify and isolate DCs from rhesus peripheral blood whereby a T cell depleted population negative for CD3, CD14, CD16 and CD20 but positive for CD83 yielded a cell population with surface markers, morphology, and a cytokine profile similar to human myeloid DCs. Rhesus blood DCs were more effective than monocytes and B cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions and in the presentation of recombinant malaria blood stage antigen MSP-1((42)) to autologous T cells. The ability to isolate rhesus blood DC from peripheral blood should be a useful tool for immunological investigations.