CD25 Is a Marker for CD4+ Thymocytes That Prevent Autoimmune Diabetes in Rats, But Peripheral T Cells with This Function Are Found in Both CD25+ and CD25− Subpopulations
Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: Previously we have shown that autoimmune diabetes, induced in rats by a protocol of adult thymectomy and split-dose gamma irradiation, can be prevented by the transfer of a subset of CD4+ T cells with a memory phenotype (CD45RC-), as well as by CD4+CD8- thymocytes, from syngeneic donors. Further studies now reveal that in the thymus the regulatory cells are observed in the CD25+ subset of CD4+CD8- cells, whereas transfer of the corresponding CD25- thymocyte subset leads to acceleration of disease onset in prediabetic recipients. However, in the periphery, not all regulatory T cells were found to be CD25+. In thoracic duct lymph, cells that could prevent diabetes were found in both CD25- and CD25+ subsets of CD4+CD45RC- cells. Further, CD25- regulatory T cells were also present within the CD4+CD45RC- cell subset from spleen and lymph nodes, but were effective in preventing diabetes only after the removal of CD25- recent thymic emigrants. Phenotypic analysis of human thymocytes showed the presence of CD25+ cells in the same proportions as in rat thymus. The possible developmental relationship between CD25+ and CD25- regulatory T cells is discussed.
Source: The Journal of Immunology
Authors: Leigh Andrea Stephens, Don Mason
Institution: University of Oxford
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2135947561