CLEC4C gene expression can be used to quantify circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are crucial for innate immunity, particularly in viral infections, by producing type I interferons.
• Aberrations in pDC numbers and function are linked to various diseases, making their quantification important for research.
• Current flow cytometry methods for pDC quantification are challenging for large, multi-center studies due to resource limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore gene expression of pDC markers as a practical alternative for quantifying pDC numbers.
• To assess the utility of CLEC4C and LILRA4 gene expression for pDC quantification in human samples.

Main Methods:

• Investigated gene expression of C-type lectin domain family 4 member C (CLEC4C) and leukocyte immunoglobulin like receptor A4 (LILRA4) in whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
• Correlated gene expression data with pDC numbers determined by traditional flow cytometry surface staining.

Main Results:

• A moderate correlation was observed between CLEC4C gene expression in whole blood and pDC numbers measured by surface staining (rho=0.39, P=.037).
• A high correlation was found between CLEC4C gene expression in whole blood and PBMCs (rho=0.79, P<.001).
• LILRA4 gene expression did not offer significant additional value for pDC quantification.

Conclusions:

• Measuring CLEC4C gene expression provides a viable and practical alternative method for quantifying pDC numbers in human samples.
• This gene expression approach can facilitate large-scale, multi-center studies investigating pDC-related immune responses.