Journal
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 189, Issue 12, Pages 5541-5548Publisher
AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201235
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- INSERM AVENIR grant
- French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA
- Sidaction
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Reduced thymopoiesis and continuous mobilization of naive T cells into the effector memory pool can lead to severe alterations of the naive T cell compartment. However, maintenance of the naive T cell population is essential to mount effective immune responses. Evidence of homeostatic regulation of naive T cells is currently debated in animal models. In humans, the situation remains unresolved, in particular with advanced age. In this study, we analyzed the CD4(+) and CD8(+) naive T cell compartments from elderly, young adults thymectomized during early childhood, and HIV-1 infected patients, which are characterized by T lymphocytopenia. We show a direct association between increased turnover and decreased frequency of naive T cells. Moreover, the IL-7 induced pathway was fully functional in naive T cells from elderly and young adults thymectomized during early childhood, who are characterized by elevated IL-7 plasma levels. Our findings support the establishment of homeostatic regulation of naive T cell proliferation in humans. This regulation is particularly active in lymphopenic hosts, such as elderly and thymectomized patients. The Journal of Immunology, 2012, 189: 5541-5548.
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