Thymic epithelial cells of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice.
To characterize thymic epithelial cells of SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice in comparison with those of Balb C mice, we did an immunohistochemical study using cortical and medullary epithelial cell specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), Th-3 and Th-4, as well as gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The thymi of SCID mice were composed of epithelial cells and a few lymphocytes. Most epithelial cells were immunostained diffusely with Th-3, which indicated that they might be "cortical-type" epithelial cells. There were a few clusters of stellate cells with dendritic processes which were negative with Th-3 but stained strongly with Th-4. Cortical type epithelial cells and most of the Th-4 reacting cells were strongly immunostained with cytokeratin antibody MNF116. By immunoblotting, cytokeratin polypeptides No. 10 and 18 were detected in both SCID and Balb C mice; however, the relative amounts of each cytokeratin polypeptides were different. With immunohistochemical and immunoblotting results, we conclude; 1) Th-3 and Th-4 are reliable markers for cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells in SCID mice; 2) disorganization of cells thymic structure is mostly due to maldevelopment of medullary epithelial and T lymphocytes; and 3) the composition of cytokeratin subfamilies of SCID mice thymi may represent a phenotypic marker of the maldevelopment of medullary epithelial cells.
Lee
I
I
Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
Yu
E
E
Ikehara
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000473:pathology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007633:Keratins