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Review extrathymic pathways of T cell differentiation

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Abo T.

Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis

2001

vol. 49

issue 2

81-90

It is known that the liver is a major hematopoietic organ at fetal stages, but the hematopoiesis of this organ ceases of birth. However, the liver is still found to comprise c-kit+ stem cells and gives rise to extrathymic T cells, NK cells, and even granulocytes after birth. Extrathymic T cells generated in the liver of mice are identified as intermediate TCR (TCRint) cells, which include the NK1.1+TCRint (i.e. NKT cells) and NK1.1-TCRint subsets. Although extrathymic T cells are few in number during youth, they increase in number with advancing age. The number and function of extrathymic T cells are also elevated under conditions of stress, infections, malignancy, pregnancy, autoimmune disease, chronic GVH diseases, etc. Under these conditions, the mainstream of T cell differentiation in the thymus, which produces conventional T cells, is inversely suppressed. Extrathymic T cells comprise self-reactive forbidden clones and mediate cytotoxicity against abnormal self-cells. Therefore, they might be beneficial for the elimination of such cells. However, over-activation of extrathymic T cells might be responsible for the onset of certain autoimmune disease.

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1 Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis

1 2001

1 Abo T.

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Review extrathymic pathways of T cell differentiation