title: [Phenotypic and functional characterization of human prothymocytes].
abstract: We report herein the phenotypic and functional analysis of human bone marrow and thymus derived early T cells. Commitment to T cell lineage is acquired during CD7 antigen expression by CD34+ precursors in human bone marrow and before thymus colonization. Early thymocytes show similar phenotypic characteristics as bone marrow T cells. They rapidly acquire CD4 before the dual expression of CD4 and CD8. Their expansion and differentiation is regulated by two major factors: thymic stroma and cytokines produced by these stroma cells or by thymocytes themselves. Among cytokines, IL1 and sCD23 produced by thymic epithelial cells support in vitro early T cell development.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunologie, CHU Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mossalayi
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Dalloul
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arock
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debré
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016207:Cytokines
vernacular_title: Caractérisation phénotypique et fonctionnelle des prothymocytes humains.