Premature escape of double-positive thymocytes to the periphery of young mice. Possible role in autoimmunity.
Thymectomy of 3-day-old mice induces organ-specific autoimmune disease. To define a relationship between the development of T cells early in the neonatal period and autoimmunity, we studied the thymus and peripheral lymphoid tissues of 3-day-old mice. Lymph nodes, but not spleens, of 3- to 4-day-old mice contained a significant number of thymus-derived CD4+CD8+ cells that are phenotypically similar to CD4+CD8+ thymocytes in their level of expression of CD3 and HSA. It is likely that the prematurely exported cells are the progenitors of autoreactive T cells because the lymph nodes from 3- to 4-day-old male, but not female, mice which express a transgenic TCR specific for the H-Y Ag contained a large number of CD4+CD8+Tg+ as well as CD4-CD8+Tg+ T cells. Thus, the neonatal thymus is capable of exporting immature T cells that in the absence of a thymus may differentiate into autoimmune effector cells.
Bonomo
A
A
Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Kehn
P J
PJ
Shevach
E M
EM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D002465:Cell Movement; D005260:Female; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006182:H-Y Antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell