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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

In Vivo Photolabeling of Cells in the Colon to Assess Migratory Potential of Hematopoietic Cells in Neonatal Mice
Published on: August 10, 2018
Different distribution of mucosal-associated invariant T cells within the human cecum and colon
Isamu Hama1, Kentaro Tominaga1, Satoshi Yamagiwa1
1Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Japan.
Introduction:
Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells that are involved in anti-bacterial immunity. MAIT cells are found in the intestines, but their role and distribution within the large intestine have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the distribution of MAIT cells within the cecum and colon.
Material And Methods:
Surgically resected tissues of the cecum and colon were obtained from 4 patients with cecal appendix cancer and 8 patients with colorectal cancer, respectively. Lymphocytes were isolated from the intestinal epithelium (intraepithelial lymphocytes - IELs) and the underlying lamina propria (lamina propria lymphocytes - LPLs), and then, MAIT cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results:
Compared with the colon, the cecum showed a significantly increased frequency of MAIT cells among IELs (p < 0.01). CD69 expression on MAIT cells was significantly increased in the cecum and colon compared with that in the blood, and the frequency of natural killer group 2, member A+ cells among MAIT cells was significantly increased in the cecum.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that the distribution of MAIT cells was different between the cecum and colon and that MAIT cells were more likely to be activated, especially in the intestinal epithelium of the cecum than in the colon and blood.
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