title: Levels of recent thymic emigrant cells decrease in children undergoing partial thymectomy during cardiac surgery.
abstract: The human thymus is required for establishment of a T-cell pool in fetal life, but postnatal thymectomy is not known to cause immunodeficiency. T-cell emigration from thymus (thymic recent emigrants [TRECs]) is a continuous thymic-dependent process. We studied TREC levels pre- and post-partial thymectomy in children undergoing cardiac surgery. TRECs were quantitated by real-time PCR in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 24 children (0 to 12 years). TREC values were 47916 +/- 9271 pre-partial thymectomy and 33157 +/- 8479 post-partial thymectomy in 11 paired patients (P = 0.014). Interval between pre- and post-partial thymectomy was 8.8 days +/- 5.8 days. Another group of 8 children had 30384 +/- 9748 TRECs 16 days to 6 years post-partial thymectomy. There was a significant drop in TREC values post-partial thymectomy in the immediate postoperative period compared to prethymectomy TREC levels. While decreased thymic output may persist, the long-term implications were not evaluated in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute and Schneider Children's Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ashish B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Madhok
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandrasekran
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parnell
authors.forename: Mysore
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Devyani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Savita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pahwa
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology