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Local glucocorticoid production in the thymus

Gergely Talaber1, Mikael Jondal2, Sam Okret1

  • 1Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NOVUM, Huddinge, Sweden.

Steroids
|June 24, 2015
PubMed

Besides generating immunocompetent T lymphocytes, the thymus is an established site of de novo extra-adrenal glucocorticoid (GC) production. Among the compartments of the thymus, both stromal thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and thymocytes secrete biologically active GCs. Locally produced GCs secreted by the various thymic cellular compartments have been suggested to have different impact on thymic homeostasis. TEC-derived GCs may regulate thymocyte differentiation whereas thymocyte-derived GCs might regulate age-dependent involution. However the full biological significance of thymic-derived GCs is still not fully understood. In this review, we summarize and describe recent advances in the understanding of local GC production in the thymus and immunoregulatory steroid production by peripheral T cells and highlight the possible role of local GCs for thymus function.

Keywords:
GlucocorticoidsInvolutionSteroidogenesisT cell differentiationThymic epithelial cellsThymocytesThymus

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