Sparse production but preferential incorporation of recently produced naive T cells in the human peripheral pool.
In mice, recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) make up a large part of the naïve T cell pool and have been suggested to be a distinct short-lived pool. In humans, however, the life span and number of RTEs are unknown. Although (2)H(2)O labeling in young mice showed high thymic-dependent daily naïve T cell production, long term up- and down-labeling with (2)H(2)O in human adults revealed a low daily production of naïve T cells. Using mathematical modeling, we estimated human naïve CD4 and CD8 T cell half-lives of 4.2 and 6.5 years, respectively, whereas memory CD4 and CD8 T cells had half-lives of 0.4 and 0.7 year. The estimated half-life of recently produced naïve T cells was much longer than these average half-lives. Thus, our data are incompatible with a substantial short-lived RTE population in human adults and suggest that the few naïve T cells that are newly produced are preferentially incorporated in the peripheral pool.
Vrisekoop
Nienke
N
Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
den Braber
Ineke
I
de Boer
Anne Bregje
AB
Ruiter
An F C
AF
Ackermans
Mariëtte T
MT
van der Crabben
Saskia N
SN
Schrijver
Elise H R
EH
Spierenburg
Gerrit
G
Sauerwein
Hans P
HP
Hazenberg
Mette D
MD
de Boer
Rob J
RJ
Miedema
Frank
F
Borghans
José A M
JA
Tesselaar
Kiki
K
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water / Q000737:chemistry; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D017666:Deuterium Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018448:Models, Immunological; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
D017666:Deuterium Oxide