During ageing thymic function declines and is unable to meet the demand for peripheral T helper (Th) cell replenishment. Therefore, population maintenance of naive Th cells must be at least partly peripherally based. Such peripheral postthymic expansion of recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) during ageing consequently should lead to loss or dilution of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) from a subset of naive T cells. We have identified two subsets of naive Th cells in human adult peripheral blood characterized by a striking unequal content of TRECs, indicating different peripheral proliferative histories. TRECs are highly enriched in peripheral naive CD45RA+ Th cells coexpressing CD31 compared with peripheral naive CD45RA+ Th cells lacking CD31 expression, in which TRECs can hardly be detected. Furthermore we show that CD31−CD45RA+ Th cells account for increasing percentages of the naive peripheral Th cell pool during ageing but retain phenotypic and functional features of naive Th cells. As CD31 is lost upon T cell receptor (TCR) engagement in vitro, we hypothesize that TCR triggering is a prerequisite for homeostatically driven peripheral postthymic expansion of human naive RTEs. We describe here the identification of peripherally expanded naive Th cells in human adult blood characterized by the loss of CD31 expression and a highly reduced TREC content.
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18 March 2002
Brief Definitive Report|
March 18 2002
Two Subsets of Naive T Helper Cells with Distinct T Cell Receptor Excision Circle Content in Human Adult Peripheral Blood
Sonja Kimmig,
Sonja Kimmig
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Grzegorz K. Przybylski,
Grzegorz K. Przybylski
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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Christian A. Schmidt,
Christian A. Schmidt
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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Katja Laurisch,
Katja Laurisch
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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Beate Möwes,
Beate Möwes
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Andreas Radbruch,
Andreas Radbruch
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Andreas Thiel
Andreas Thiel
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Sonja Kimmig
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Grzegorz K. Przybylski
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Christian A. Schmidt
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Katja Laurisch
2Department of Haematology und Oncology, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Beate Möwes
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Andreas Radbruch
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Andreas Thiel
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Address correspondence to Dr. Andreas Thiel, Clinical Immunology, DRFZ Berlin, Schumannstr. 21/22, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Phone: 49-30-28460-681; Fax: 49-30-28460-603; E-mail: [email protected]
Received:
October 18 2001
Revision Received:
December 21 2001
Accepted:
January 14 2002
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
The Rockefeller University Press
2002
J Exp Med (2002) 195 (6): 789–794.
Article history
Received:
October 18 2001
Revision Received:
December 21 2001
Accepted:
January 14 2002
Citation
Sonja Kimmig, Grzegorz K. Przybylski, Christian A. Schmidt, Katja Laurisch, Beate Möwes, Andreas Radbruch, Andreas Thiel; Two Subsets of Naive T Helper Cells with Distinct T Cell Receptor Excision Circle Content in Human Adult Peripheral Blood . J Exp Med 18 March 2002; 195 (6): 789–794. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20011756
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