HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gunther, U. Articles by MacDonald, T. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gunther, U. Articles by MacDonald, T. T.

Phenotypic Characterization of CD3^–7⁺ Cells in Developing Human Intestine and an Analysis of Their Ability to Differentiate into T Cells ¹

Ute Gunther^*, Judith A. Holloway^*, John G. Gordon^*, Andrea Knight^*, Victoria Chance^*, Neil A. Hanley, David I. Wilson, Ruth French, Jo Spencer^¶, Howard Steer, Graham Anderson^|| and Thomas T. MacDonald^2,*

Divisions of ^* Infection, Inflammation and Repair, Human Genetics, and Cancer Sciences, Department of Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton; ^¶ Department of Immunobiology, GKT School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom; and ^|| Department of Anatomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

We have identified a large population of CD3^–7⁺ cells in human fetal gut. Three- and four-color flow cytometry revealed a distinct surface Ag profile on this population; the majority were negative for CD4 and CD8, whereas most of the remainder expressed the CD8 homodimer. In contrast about half of CD3⁺ cells expressed CD4 and half expressed CD8. A large proportion of CD3^–7⁺ cells expressed CD56, CD94, and CD161, and whereas CD3⁺ T cells also expressed CD161, they only rarely expressed CD56 or CD94. Further studies were conducted to determine whether the CD3^–7⁺ cells have the potential to differentiate into CD3⁺ cells. About half of CD3^–7⁺ cells contain intracellular CD3. Rearranged TCR -chains were detected in highly purified CD3^–7⁺ cells as an early molecular sign of T cell commitment, and the pattern of rearrangement with V regions spliced to the most 5' J segment is reminiscent of early thymocyte differentiation. In reaggregate thymic organ cultures, CD3^–7⁺ cells also gave rise to CD3⁺ T cells. Thus, we demonstrate that the CD3^–7⁺ cells present in the human fetal gut display a distinct phenotype and are able to develop into CD3⁺ T cells.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. Cohavy and S. R. Targan CD56 Marks an Effector T Cell Subset in the Human Intestine J. Immunol., May 1, 2007; 178(9): 5524 - 5532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Vijayanand, G. Seumois, C. Pickard, R. M. Powell, G. Angco, D. Sammut, S. D. Gadola, P. S. Friedmann, and R. Djukanovic Invariant Natural Killer T Cells in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease N. Engl. J. Med., April 5, 2007; 356(14): 1410 - 1422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]