On the lifespan of virgin T lymphocytes.
To study the lifespan of virgin T lymphocytes, we removed the thymus from adult female mice and then, at various times afterward, tested their ability to mount an immune response to a newly encountered Ag, the male Ag H-Y. We found that unprimed thymectomized mice were able to generate a primary response to H-Y for some time after thymectomy but lost this ability at approximately 6 mo. In contrast, mice that were primed to H-Y just after thymectomy continued to display immunological memory to H-Y for >1 year. These experiments show that primary immune responses disappear in the absence of a thymus.
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. dirosa@crs.ifo.it
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Di Rosa
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Ramaswamy
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Ridge
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Matzinger
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D006182:H-Y Antigen; D007519:Isoantigens