ASSESSMENT OF CD4 EXPRESSION BY EARLY-T PRECURSOR CELLS AND BY DENDRITIC CELLS IN THE HUMAN THYMUS
- Author(s)
- Sotzik, F; ROSENBERG, Y; Boyd, AW; Honeyman, M; Metcalf, D; Scollay, R; Wu, L; Shortman, K;
- Details
- Publication Year 1994-04-01,Volume 152,Issue #7,Page 3370-3377
- Journal Title
- JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
- Publication Type
- Journal Article
- Abstract
- The adult mouse thymus contains a minute population of early lymphoid precursor cells that express moderate levels of CD4. We searched for a corresponding population of early T precursors in the infant human thymus, by first depleting the majority of more mature thymocytes, then using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry to analyze cells bearing a range of early T lineage markers. No discrete population of early T precursors expressing CD4 was observed, in contrast to the murine thymus. Most putative very early human thymocytes were CD4(-)8(-)3(-)1(-)2(lo)44(+)34(+)7(hi) class I MHC(hi) class II MHC(-). However, a distinct population of human thymic dendritic cells expressing high levels of CD4 was isolated. These were CD4(hi)8(-)3(-)1(-)2(-)44(+)34(-)7(-) class I MHC(hi) class II MHC(hi), and lacked markers of B cells, NK cells, or myeloid cells. They were large cells that exhibited dendritic morphology after brief periods of culture, and they were efficient stimulators of allogeneic T cells. The biologic implications of CD4 expression by thymic dendritic cells are discussed.
- Publisher
- AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
- Keywords
- MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES; LANGERHANS CELLS; MOUSE THYMUS; PHENOTYPE; ANTIGENS; SURFACE; IDENTIFICATION; RECEPTOR; ONTOGENY; PROGENY
- Terms of Use/Rights Notice
- Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Creation Date: 1994-04-01 12:00:00