Presence of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease.
The murine intestinal epithelium contains a heterogeneous population of intraepithelial leukocytes (IEL) most of which are granulated, Thy-1-CD5-CD8+. In order to assess the lineage relationship of this subgroup of IEL to peripheral T cells, we examined IEL in mice with the severe combined immunodeficiency (scid/scid) mutation, which lack T and B cells in peripheral lymphoid tissues. Electron and light microscopy showed that the intestine from scid/scid mice had granulated IEL similar to IEL in normal C.B-17 mice. Flow cytometry of isolated IEL stained with monoclonal antibodies against Thy-1, CD3, CD4, CD5 and CD8 showed that scid/scid mice IEL contained cells with the Thy-1-CD4-CD5-CD8+ phenotype. Immunohistochemical staining of IEL in tissue sections with antibodies to Thy-1 and CD8 confirmed that the Thy-1-CD8+ cells were in the intestinal epithelium. These scid/scid IEL also lacked CD3 expression and mRNA for the V gamma 7 V region gene of the gamma T cell receptor. We conclude that scid/scid mice contain precursors for IEL that can differentiate into a granulated Thy-1-CD5-CD8+ IEL in the intestine. The absence of CD8+ peripheral T cells in these mice suggests that these IEL differ from classical T cells in their ability to differentiate and express CD8 and do not require T cell receptor expression for their localization to the intestine.
Croitoru
K
K
Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Stead
R H
RH
Bienenstock
J
J
Fulop
G
G
Harnish
D G
DG
Shultz
L D
LD
Jeffery
P K
PK
Ernst
P B
PB
D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens