Distinctive immunological properties of cultured murine thymic epithelial cells.
Skin painting with chemically reactive haptens induces a hapten-specific state of hypersensitivity that is long lasting and can be transferred to unirradiated recipient mice. A similar state of hapten-specific contact sensitivity can be induced by intravenous immunization with hapten-conjugated cells. Thus far, only two cell types have been described that can perform this function: Langerhans cells of the skin, and splenic dendritic cells. All other types, coupled with hapten, induce either tolerance or a short-lived state of contact hypersensitivity that is readily suppressed, and cannot be transferred to normal recipients. In the present experiments, it was demonstrated that culture-enriched, hapten-coupled thymic epithelial cells can also induce a state of stable contact hypersensitivity identical to that induced by skin painting. This provides evidence that thymic epithelial cells have distinctive properties as antigen-presenting cells in vivo. The relationship of this finding to the postulated role of thymic epithelium in T-cell development is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
D006241:Haptens; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid