Correspondence between lectin-defined and surface antigen-defined cell subpopulations in the human thymus: its...

In the thymus of children, congruent to 50% of cells are recognized both by peanut agglutinin and soybean agglutinin (PNA+, SBA+), congruent to 23% of cells are PNA-, SBA-, and 23% are PNA-, SBA+. This pattern of recognition was compared with the reactivity of these cells with monoclonal antibodies recognizing T cell differentiation antigens A 50 and a series (T3, T6, T8) that defines 3 discrete stages of T cell differentiation. Most PNA+, SBA+ display T6 and T8 but not T3 antigens; most PNA-, SBA+ display T3+ and A 50+ but not T6; and T3-, T6-, A 50- cells are PNA-, SBA-. Thus, there is a close correspondence between PNA+, SBA+ cells and the common (cortical) T3-, T6+ thymocytes; between PNA-, SBA+ cells and late (medullary) T3+, T6- thymocytes; and between PNA-, SBA- cells and early thymocytes. During ontogeny, although there are fewer PNA+ cells in the thymus, the proportion of T3+ cells, T6+ cells, and T3-, T6- cells showed no major modification as early as 16 wk.