DEMONSTRATION OF KERATIN FILAMENTS IN THYMIC NURSE CELLS (TNC) AND ALLOREACTIVITY OF TNC-T CELL-POPULATION

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 5  (1) , 43-52
Abstract
In vitro cultured epithelial reticular cells from [mouse] fetal thymic explants and thymic nurse cells (TNC) demonstrate the presence of keratin filaments in the cytoplasm. Keratin-positive cells of cultured thymic epithelium are heterogenous in size and shape as are TNC. T cells inside the nurse cells (TNC-T) ooze out after 18 h of incubation at 37.degree. C. The alloreactivity of these T cells was compared with that of thymocytes and lymph node (LN) cells in a miniaturized mixed lymphocyte reaction using hanging drops set up in Terasaki plates. AKR TNC-T cells and LN cells showed significant proliferative response when stimulated by BALB/c LN cells. No significant proliferative response was shown by non-TNC thymocytes. TNC apparently harbor a mature sample of the T cell population as judged by alloreactivity.

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