Role of the liver in T cell differentiation—generation of CD3 2 CD4 1 /CD8 1 TCRb 2 cells and CD3 2 4 2 8 2 TCRb 1 cells from CD4 2 8 2 TCRb 2 athymic nude bone marrow cells by culture with parenchymal liver cells

To investigate the influence of the liver on differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells/ pro-T cells, TN-NWP-BMC (athymic nude bone marrow cells that were treated with anti-TCRb, anti-CD4, and anti-CD8 Abs plus complement and then passed through a nylon wool column) were cultured on parenchymal liver cells. After culture for 2.5 days, CD3 2 4 2 8 2 TCRb 1 cells and CD3 2 CD4 1 /CD8 1 TCRb 2 cells were developed from TN-NWP-BMC. TCRVb8 1 cells comprised 19.9% of CD3 2 4 2 8 2 TCRb 1 cells, and Vb8 mRNA was detected in the CD3 2 4 2 8 2 TCRb 1 cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The CD3 2 CD4 1 /CD8 1 TCRb 2 cells contained not only single-positive cells but also CD4 1 8 1 double- positive cells. The CD8 protein consisted of 88.9% CD8a 1 b 2 , 10.1% CD8a 1 b 1 , and 1% CD8a 2 b 1 molecules. From these results and the finding of co-expressed antigens, CD3 2 4 2 8 2 TCRb 1 cells and CD3 2 CD4 1 /CD8 1 TCRb 2 cells appear to be imma- ture cells not committed to a certain cell lineage. J. Leukoc. Biol. 63: 575-583; 1998.