title: Altered thymic activity in early life: how does it affect the immune system in young adults?
abstract: The thymus is responsible for the maturation of lymphoid precursors into T cells, and is necessary to establish the T cell pool during prenatal and early postnatal life in humans. With the years, it undergoes a natural shrinking process, referred to as involution, suspected to be central in the decline of immune competence with aging, or immunosenescence. Here, we review the recent studies focusing on the immunological consequences of abnormal thymic development and thymectomy shortly after birth. These works highlight the importance of the thymic function in preserving immune efficacy throughout life, and provide insights into the development of immune aging.
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR S 945, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris6, Infections and Immunity, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France. delphine.sauce@upmc.fr
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sauce
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Appay
mesh_terms: D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000209:etiology*; D038041:Lymphopoiesis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult