An immunohistologic analysis of murine uterine T cells between birth and puberty.
Murine uterine T cells were analysed on the basis of surface phenotype expression from birth to adulthood. T cells were rare in the uterus from birth until 2 weeks of age. In genetically immunocompetent mice, mature T cells expressing either TCR alpha/beta or TCR gamma/delta were first present as a major cell population at 3 weeks of age. The ratio of TCR alpha/beta to TCR gamma/delta was 1:1 at 3 weeks of age and this ratio did not change during sexual maturation. Almost all uterine T cells were CD8+ and the majority of these cells expressed CD8 alpha/beta rather than CD8 alpha/alpha. Cells expressing Thy1.2 were less frequent than cells expressing CD3 while cells expressing CD5 were rare. No major changes in T cell subsets occurred at puberty. Further, the microbial flora of the mice did not alter the time of appearance, frequency or subset distribution of uterine TCR+ cells. In the uteri of immunodeficient mice of genotype scid/scid TCR+ cells were found in low numbers and the initial appearance of TCR+ cells was delayed until 5 weeks of age.
Croy
B A
BA
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Stewart
C M
CM
McBey
B A
BA
Kiso
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000235:genetics; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology*; D016513:Mice, SCID / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell