Human neonatal thymectomy induces altered B-cell responses and autoreactivity.

ABSTRACT: An association between T-cell lymphopenia and autoimmunity has long been proposed, but it remains to be elucidated whether T-cell lymphopenia affects B-cell responses to autoantigens. Human neonatal thymectomy (Tx) results in a decrease in T-cell numbers and we used this model to study the development of autoreactivity. Two cohorts of neonatally thymectomized individuals were examined, a cohort of young (1-5 years post-Tx, n = 10-27) and older children (>10 years, n = 26), and compared to healthy age-matched controls. T-cell and B-cell subsets were assessed and autoantibody profiling performed. Early post-Tx, a decrease in T-cell numbers (2.75 × 10⁹ /L vs. 0.71 × 10⁹ /L) and an increased proportion of memory T cells (19.72 vs. 57.43%) were observed. The presence of au

SUBMITTER: van den Broek T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5697610 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature