title: Clonal deletion versus clonal anergy: the role of the thymus in inducing self tolerance.
abstract: During development in the thymus, T cells are rendered tolerant to self antigens. It is now apparent that thymocytes bearing self-reactive T cell receptors can be tolerized by processes that result in physical elimination (clonal deletion) or functional inactivation (clonal anergy). As these mechanisms have important clinical implications for transplantation and autoimmunity, current investigations are focused on understanding the cellular and molecular interactions that generate these forms of tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramsdell
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fowlkes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D002678:Chimera; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001324:Autoantigens; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell