Panel a shows a diagram of thymic production evaluation and RANKL expression analysis. Panel b showing coefficient estimates from a generalized linear model predicting thymopoiesis levels, with days of life, male sex, and rs2204985 GA/GG status as variables. The y-axis represents the variables, and the x-axis represents coefficient estimates. Panel c is a box plot showing thymic tissue TREC levels in newborn children separated by their genotypes for SNP rs2204985. The x-axis shows genotypes (AA, GA, GG), and the y-axis shows log10 TREC levels. Panel d is a scatter plot showing thymic tissue TREC levels in relation to postnatal age, with the x-axis representing age (log10 days) and the y-axis representing log10 TREC levels. Panel e is a scatter plot showing intracellular RANKL levels in relation to estimated numbers of cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTEC) per gram of tissue, with the x-axis representing cTEC counts per gram and the y-axis representing RANKL gMFI. Panel f is a scatter plot showing intracellular RANKL levels in relation to estimated numbers of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) per gram of tissue, with the x-axis representing mTEC counts per gram and the y-axis representing RANKL gMFI.
Thymopoiesis measured in thymus tissue from young children. (a) Thymus samples collected from children undergoing surgery and subject to TREC analysis. (b) Coefficient estimates from a generalized linear model predicting thymopoiesis (TREC) levels taking variables age, sex, and rs2204985 status into account. Grey lines represent 95% confidence intervals for coefficients. P values are from ANOVA tests. (c) Thymopoiesis (TREC) levels in newborn children separated by their genotypes for SNP rs2204985 (AA: n = 11, GA: n = 29, GG: n = 14). P values are from Wilcoxon pairwise test. (d) Thymopoiesis (TREC) levels in newborn children in relation to postnatal age. (e and f) Intracellular RANKL (in CD4+, gdT, and NKT thymocytes; geometric MFI, gMFI) by flow cytometry from thymi of young children (n = 13) and shown in relation to estimated numbers of cells per gram of tissue for (e) cTECs or (f) mTECs.