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Maturation of human fetal and infantile thymic cells in tissue culture
K Numazaki1, H Goldman, I Wong
1Department of Microbiology, Montreal Children's Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
Human fetal and infantile thymic epithelial (TE) cells were grown in tissue culture and were phenotypically characterized using monoclonal antibodies reactive against a number of individual components of human thymus. Cultures of infantile TE cells formed confluent monolayers after 14-17 days. This was accompanied by a dramatic increase in numbers of Hassall's corpuscles, septae formation and pseudolobulation. After 3 weeks in culture, the rate of cell growth slowed, and by 4 weeks an accumulation of fat cells was noted. Involution of the cultures occurred after this time. In contrast, cultures of fetal TE cells achieved confluence after only 6-8 days, and increased numbers of Hassall's corpuscles, septae formation and pseudo-lobulation could be observed after only 10 days. Fat cells appeared after 3 weeks in culture and involution occurred soon after. Cells which reacted with monoclonal antibodies specific for keratin and GQ ganglioside were predominant during the early stages of tissue culture. These cells ceased to play as important a role with increased time in culture; in contrast, cells reactive with monoclonal antibodies specific for distinct thymic components increased in number as time in culture progressed.
Human fetal and infantile thymic epithelial (TE) cells were grown in tissue culture and were phenotypically characterized using monoclonal antibodies reactive against a number of individual components of human thymus. Cultures of infantile TE cells formed confluent monolayers after 14-17 days. This was accompanied by a dramatic increase in numbers of Hassall's corpuscles, septae formation and pseudolobulation. After 3 weeks in culture, the rate of cell growth slowed, and by 4 weeks an accumulation of fat cells was noted. Involution of the cultures occurred after this time. In contrast, cultures of fetal TE cells achieved confluence after only 6-8 days, and increased numbers of Hassall's corpuscles, septae formation and pseudo-lobulation could be observed after only 10 days. Fat cells appeared after 3 weeks in culture and involution occurred soon after. Cells which reacted with monoclonal antibodies specific for keratin and GQ ganglioside were predominant during the early stages of tissue culture. These cells ceased to play as important a role with increased time in culture; in contrast, cells reactive with monoclonal antibodies specific for distinct thymic components increased in number as time in culture progressed.