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Cyclosporine A Prevents the Generation of Single Positive (Lyt2 + L3T4 − , Lyt2 − L3T4 + ) Mature T Cells, but not Single Positive (Lyt2 + T3 − ) Immature Thymocytes, in Newborn Mice
Author(s) -
HEEG K.,
BENDIGS S.,
WAGNER H
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1989.tb02479.x
Subject(s) - t lymphocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , t cell , thymocyte , biology , immunology , antigen , immune system
The influence of cyclosporine A (CsA) on T‐cell maturation was investigated in newborn mice. CsA treatment during the pre‐and postnatal periods resulted in a hypoplasia of peripheral lymphatic organs, absence of mature T3 + T cells in lymph nodes and spleens; no functional T‐cell reactivity was observed. In thymuses of CsA‐treated mice, no T3 + single positive Lyt2 + or T3 + L3T4 + thymocytes could be found, but double positive (DP) cells were readily detected. A thymocyte subset with the phenotype Lyt2 + L3T4 − T3 − was still discernible; this population was non‐functional in vitro. The data show that the maturation of single positive (SP) T cells is critically influenced by CsA; under the conditions used here we found no evidence that ‘leaky’ autoreactive SP T cells develop in CsA‐treated newborn mice.