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PMID: 3092215 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Human thymocytes bind to autologous and allogeneic thymic epithelial cells in vitro.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 83 ·No. 17 ·1986-09-00 ·Pages 6588-92

Singer KH, Wolf LS, Lobach DF, Denning SM, Tuck DT, Robertson AL, Haynes BF

Abstract

The thymus plays a critical role in the generation of immunocompetent T lymphocytes. In the thymus, lymphocytes are in close contact with epithelial cells, and this contact is necessary for T-cell maturation. Using cultured human thymic epithelial (TE) cells, we have found that human thymocytes bind to human TE cells in vitro. Thymocytes bound to both allogeneic and autologous TE cells and to the epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 but did not bind to epidermal keratinocytes or to thymic fibroblasts. Thymocyte binding to TE cells was trypsin- and cytochalasin B-sensitive. Indirect immunofluorescence assays showed that both mature (T6-, T3+) and immature (T6+, T3-) thymocytes bound TE cells. In our system, TE-thymocyte binding was not inhibited by antibodies to class I or class II major histocompatibility antigens. In vitro binding of thymocytes to TE cells may represent a correlate of in vivo TE-thymocyte interactions and provides a model system for the study of human intrathymic T-lymphocyte maturation and activation.

MeSH Terms
Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte Antigens, Surface/analysis Cell Adhesion Cells, Cultured Epithelial Cells Humans Lymphocytes/classification,cytology,immunology Major Histocompatibility Complex Microscopy, Electron Thymus Gland/cytology
Chemicals
Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte Antigens, Surface
Authors & Affiliations
7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Singer K H
Wolf L S
Lobach D F
Denning S M
Tuck D T
Robertson A L
Haynes B F
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.83.17.6588
Published
1986-09-00
Pages
6588-92
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC386549
Subset
IM
Grants
NIADDK NIH HHS · AM34808 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · CA28936 · United States
PHS HHS · K0400695 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.83.17.6588 PMC Full Text View journal details
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