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Clinical evaluation of thymic function
Castermans E. , Morrhaye G. , Marchand S. , Martens H. , Moutschen M. , Baron F. , Beguin Y. , Geenen V.
Rev Med Liege 2007, 62(11),675-678Abstract : The essential role of the thymus is to install an extremely diverse repertoire of T lymphocytes that are selftolerant and competent against non-self, as well as to generate self-antigen specific regulatory T cells (Treg) able to inactivate in periphery self-reactive T cells having escaped the thymic censorship. Although indirect, techniques of medical imaging and phenotyping of peripheral T cells may help in the investigation of thymic function. Nowadays however, thymopoiesis is better evaluated through quantification by PCR of T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) generated by intrathymic random recombination of the gene segments coding for the variable parts of the T-cell receptor for antigen (TCR). The TREC methodology is very valuable in the circumstances not associated with intense proliferation or apoptosis of peripheral T lymphocytes.
