title: Local glucocorticoid production in the thymus.
abstract: Besides generating immunocompetent T lymphocytes, the thymus is an established site of de novo extra-adrenal glucocorticoid (GC) production. Among the compartments of the thymus, both stromal thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and thymocytes secrete biologically active GCs. Locally produced GCs secreted by the various thymic cellular compartments have been suggested to have different impact on thymic homeostasis. TEC-derived GCs may regulate thymocyte differentiation whereas thymocyte-derived GCs might regulate age-dependent involution. However the full biological significance of thymic-derived GCs is still not fully understood. In this review, we summarize and describe recent advances in the understanding of local GC production in the thymus and immunoregulatory steroid production by peripheral T cells and highlight the possible role of local GCs for thymus function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NOVUM, Huddinge, Sweden. Electronic address: talaberg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Talaber
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Insitutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jondal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NOVUM, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okret
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: Glucocorticoids; Involution; Steroidogenesis; T cell differentiation; Thymic epithelial cells; Thymocytes; Thymus