Estimating thymic function through quantification of T-cell receptor excision circles.
Analysis of immune reconstitution is of major importance in clinical settings such as following bone marrow transplantation or during anti-retroviral treatment of HIV-infected patients. In these patients, thymic function is essential for the reconstitution of a diversified T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. During thymopoiesis, several genetic rearrangements lead to the generation of fully functional TCR. By-products of these processes, the T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), are present in cells exported from the thymus but do not replicate during mitosis; they can thus be used as molecular markers for recent thymic emigrants. We demonstrate how thymic function can be assessed in a quantitative and noninvasive fashion in humans by estimating intrathymic precursor T-cell proliferation through the quantification of distinct TREC molecules in peripheral blood cells.
Dion
Marie-Lise
ML
Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Centre de Recherches du CHUM, Montréal, Canada.
Sékaly
Rafick-Pierre
RP
Cheynier
Rémi
R
D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell