Evaluation of thymopoiesis using T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs): Differential correlation between adult and pediatric TRECs and naive phenotypes

Carolyn M. Steffens, Lena Al-Harthi, Susan Shott, Ram Yogev, Alan Landay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

To determine whether the thymus is still functional despite age-related involution, we measured a biomarker for thymopoiesis known as the T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 148 healthy children and from PBMCs, CD4+, and CD8+ cells of 32, 30, and 50 healthy adults, respectively. We demonstrate that during the first 5 years of life, thymic output is decreased (P 0.002) but not dramatically (r = -0.282). Among adults aged 23-58, thymic output was inversely correlated with age, as measured from PBMCs (r = -0.628, P < 0.0005), CD4+ (r = -0.530, P 0.003), and CD8+ fractions (r = -0.385, P 0.006). A strong correlation existed between pediatric PBMC TRECs and the expression of three naive phenotypic markers (CD45RA+CD45RO-, CD45RA+CD62L+, and CD45RO-CD27+CD95(low)). Adult PBMC TRECs correlated only with the expression of CD45RA+CD45RO- (r = 0.459, P 0.012). Our data suggest that in adults CD45RA+CD45RO- may be enriched for TRECs and add to a growing body of evidence illustrating intact thymic function in adulthood. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)95-101
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Immunology
Volume97
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Aging
  • CD4 T cells
  • CD8 T cells
  • De novo T cells
  • Naive phenotypic markers
  • Pediatric
  • Recent thymic emigrants
  • T cell receptor excision circle (TREC)
  • Thymopoiesis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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