Quantification of thymic function by measuring T cell receptor excision circles within peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues in monkeys

T cell receptor gene deletion circles identify recent thymic emigrants in the peripheral T cell pool.

Progenitor cells undergo T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements during their intrathymic differentiation to become T cells. Rearrangements of the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) segments of the TCR genes result in deletion of the intervening chromosomal DNA and the formation of circular episomes as a byproduct. Detection of these extrachromosomal excision circles in T cells loca...

Measuring emigration of human thymocytes by T-cell receptor excision circles.

Recent advances in characterizing thymic function confirm the importance of thymus to T-cell diversity in the periphery of both children and adults during both health and disease. Lack of a marker to identify human recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) is the biggest hurdle to accurately characterizing and quantifying thymic output. T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) are used as an assay to meas...

Reevaluation of T cell receptor excision circles as a measure of human recent thymic emigrants.

The human thymus exports newly generated T cells to the periphery. As no markers have been identified for these recent thymic emigrants (RTE), it is presently impossible to measure human thymic output. T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) have been recently used to assess thymic output during both health and disease. Using a mathematical model, we quantify age-dependent changes both in the n...

Thymic Emigrants Circles as a Measure of Human Recent Reevaluation of T Cell Receptor Excision

T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and recent thymic migrant cells in specific immunotherapy and respiratory allergy to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

INTRODUCTION T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) on CD31+ T cells are related to recent thymic emigrant cells (RTEs). The involvement of the functional thymic tissue occurs early in the IgE-mediated allergic reaction, and in response to specific immunotherapy (SIT). AIM Evaluation of specific immunotherapy effects on TREC number in peripheral T cells in patients allergic to Dermatophagoid...