Distribution of age-related thymulin titres in normal subjects through the course of life.
The thymus has a dominant immunological role in utero and in early childhood, being a primary source of T lymphopoiesis, and its investigation may be particularly relevant for the immunological study of paediatric patients. Thymulin, a nonapeptide secreted by the thymus, is an essential hormone for T lymphocyte differentiation and function. As thymulin values in the normal population have not been well documented, especially for children under the age of 1 year, we detail thymic endocrine function by presenting age-related plasma thymulin levels in a large series (n = 93) of healthy individuals, ranging from birth to old age. We demonstrate that thymulin is already detectable at birth; it then gradually increases with age, reaching the highest level in children aged 5-10 years. Starting at adolescence, thymulin titres gradually start to fall, reaching the lowest value at 36 years of age and remaining steady until 80 years (the oldest person tested).
Consolini
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Dipartimento di Medicina della Procreazione e dell'Età Evolutiva, Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy. rita.consolini@clp.med.unipi.it
Legitimo
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Calleri
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Milani
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating