title: Thymic and bone marrow output in patients with common variable immunodeficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aims to obtain more information about the immune deficit of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new real-time PCR assay was used to quantify T and B lymphocyte mobilization from the production and maturation sites through the detection of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) and kappa-deleting recombination circles (KRECs) and to allow the estimation of the average number of B cell divisions. T and B lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of TREC(+) lymphocytes, which depends on age and gender, was significantly reduced in CVID patients. Similarly, KREC concentration was lower than in controls. Classification of patients according to the percentage of memory switched B cells showed that patients belonging to MB2 group and therefore with conserved B cell maturation have the lowest new B cell output but increased average peripheral divisions, leading to the highest B cell number.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TREC and KREC quantification can be helpful for a more complete and informative understanding of a heterogeneous disease such as CVID.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serana
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Airò
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiarini
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanotti
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scarsi
authors.forename: Micol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frassi
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lougaris
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plebani
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caimi
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imberti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017098:IgA Deficiency / Q000276:immunology; D017099:IgG Deficiency / Q000276:immunology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell