Primary human dermal fibroblasts selectively sense microbial ligands and initiate immune response through chemokines secretion

Abstract

Fibroblasts are traditionally considered structural cells that maintain tissue homeostasis and facilitate repair. However, accumulating evidence suggests they also participate in innate immunity, although their pattern recognition capabilities remain incompletely characterized. Here, we systematically assessed the innate immune responses of commercially available primary human dermal fibroblasts from a male and a female donor. Fibroblasts were stimulated with a panel of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) targeting various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NODs), Alpha kinase 1 (ALPK1) and STING. Innate immune activation was quantified by measuring the nuclear translocation of NF-{kappa}B via high content microscopy and cytokines and chemokines secretion by ELISA; baseline PRRs expression was determined by quantitative PCR. Only a restricted subset of agonists, specifically E. coli LPS (TLR4), Poly I:C (TLR3 / RIG-I) and unexpectedly ADP heptose (ALPK1) induced robust NF-{kappa}B activation and secretion of the chemokines IL-8 and MCP-1. Apart from IL-6 and RANTES, which were produced exclusively following Poly I:C stimulation, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1{beta}, TNF, IFN-{beta}) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 remained undetectable. Consistent with this limited reactivity, qPCR of PRRs revealed basal expression of TLR4 and ALPK1, whereas most other receptors were expressed at very low or undetectable levels. Notably, NOD1 was highly expressed although no cell activation was observed with several NOD1 agonists. Dose-response analysis revealed surprisingly high sensitivity to LPS. In conclusion, primary human dermal fibroblasts exhibit a highly selective but sensitive innate immune response, largely restricted to chemokine production upon PRR activation. This unexpected dissociation between chemokine and cytokine responses suggests that fibroblasts function as sentinel cells in early skin defense, capable of detecting key microbial patterns at low concentrations, to orchestrate local immune surveillance. Further investigation into interindividual variability and context-dependent activation is needed.