Critical influence of the thymus on peripheral T cell homeostasis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

A tight balance between regulatory CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ (Treg) and conventional CD4⁺Foxp3^- (Tconv) T cell subsets in the peripheral compartment, maintained stable throughout most of lifetime, is essential for preserving self-tolerance along with efficient immune responses. An excess of Treg cells, described for aged individuals, may critically contribute to their reported immunodeficiency. In this work, we investigated if quantitative changes in thymus emigration may alter the Treg/Tconv homeostasis regardless of the aging status of the peripheral compartment.

Methods

We used two different protocols to modify the rate of thymus emigration: thymectomy of adult young (4-6 weeks old) mice and grafting of young thymus onto aged (18

SUBMITTER: Vianna PH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5134722 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature