Interferon-inducible protein 10, monokine induced by interferon gamma, and interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant are produced by thymic epithelial cells and attract T-cell receptor (TCR) αβ+CD8+ single-positive T cells, TCRγδ+ T cells, and natural killer-type cells in human thymus

Strong reactivity for interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), monokine induced by interferon gamma (Mig), and interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC) was found in epithelial cells mainly localized to the medulla of postnatal human thymus. The CXC chemokine receptor common to the 3 chemokines (CXCR3) was also preferentially expressed in medullary areas of the same thymuses and appeared to be a property of 4 distinct populations: CD3(+)T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta (+)CD8(+) single-positive (SP)T cells, TCR gamma delta (+) T cells, natural killer (NK)-type cells, and a small subset of CD(3+(low))CD4(+)CD8(+)TCR(alpha beta+) double positive (DP) T cells. IP-10, Mig, and I-TAC showed chemoattractant activity for TCR alpha beta (+)CCD8(+) SP T cells, TCR gamma delta (+) T cells, and NK-type cells, suggesting their role in the migration of different subsets of mature thymocytes during human thymus lymphopoiesis. (C) 2001 by The American Society of Hematology.