Bovine mammary dendritic cells: a heterogeneous population, distinct from macrophages and similar in phenotype to afferent lymph veiled cells

Dendritic cells (DC) are a heterogeneous population of professional antigen presenting cells and are potent stimulators of na?ve T-cells. However, there is little previous research describing DC in bovine mammary tissue, primarily because of the difficulty distinguishing these cells from macrophages, which possess a similar phenotype. Using immunohistofluorescence and a combination of markers (MHC-II, CD205, CD11c), DC were localized in the bovine mammary gland and supramammary lymph node. In mammary tissue DC were found within the alveolar epithelium and within the intralobular connective tissue. In the lymph node DC were found on the periphery of B-cell areas, in the cortex, and among T-cells in the paracortex and medulla. DC in mammary parenchyma and supramammary lymph nodes were quantified and further characterized using flow cytometry. DC were CD11c(hi), CD14(lo) cells that expressed MHC-II and CD205. DC could be distinguished from macrophages based on their low CD14 expression. This research provides a better understanding of mammary gland immunology, while potentially aiding in the targeting of antigens to mucosal DC for vaccine development.