Transcriptional profile of human neonatal cord blood and adult peripheral blood dendritic cells

A phenotypically and functinoally distinct subset of human blood dendritic cells expressing CD11b is specific of the neonatal environment. We have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling to identify the specific gene signature of CD11b+ cord blood dendritic cells as compared to their adult peripheral blood counterparts. Peripheral blood adult cDC2 (CD20- CD11c+ CD14- BDCA1+ CD11b- ), neonatal cord blood cDC2 (CD20- CD11c+ CD14- BDCA1+ CD11b-) and neonatal cord blood cDC2b (CD20- CD11c+ CD14- BDCA1+ CD11b+) were FACS purified from BDCA1+ magnetically. Neonatal monocytes (CD11c+ CD14+) and neonatal naive T cells (CD3+ CD4+ CD56- CD25- CD45RO-) were used as controls. Dendritic cell subsets were isolated from 3 peripheral blood donors and 3 cord blood donors. Monocytes were isolated from 3 cord blood donors. Neonatal naive T cells were isolated from 1 peripheral blood donor. Dendritic cells were left unstimulated or were stimulated with either poly I:C + R848, Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) or Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) for 6h. RNA from 5000 cells was amplified, labeled, and hybridized to an an Agilent Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarrays 8x60K.