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Differential contribution of thymic outputs and peripheral expansion in the development of peripheral T cell pools
Author(s) -
Modigliani Yves,
Coutinho Graça,
BurlenDefranoux Odile,
Coutinho Antonio,
Bandeira Antonio
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.1830240533
Subject(s) - peripheral , biology , congenic , t cell , cell , immunology , endocrinology , medicine , immune system , genetics , gene
Abstract The number of peripheral T cells in mice increases up to 100‐fold in the first few weeks of life. We have followed the fate of Thy‐1 congenic T cells transferred into newborn recipients, to evaluate the relative contribution of thymic output versus peripheral expansion in the constitution of peripheral T cell pools during post‐natal development. The results show that in normal animals there is essentially no peripheral expansion of T cells, which show slow turnover rates (1 to 2 months) along that time period. The rates of cell accumulation in the periphery require, therefore, an average of 1 × 10 6 −2 × 10 6 mature thymic emigrants/day for the first 3 weeks of life.