Characteristics of cytoplasmic antigens of cells from differentiated epidermal layers in human thymic epithelium

: It was found that donor's serum and serum of patients with rheumatic fever, erysipelas and myasthenia gravis contained autoantibodies to the cytoplasmic antigens and to the antigen of perinuclear zone of differentiated layers cells of human epidermis. Using the serum with different level of autoantibodies to these epidermal antigens it's localization in the human thymus epithelium was determined. It was shown that perinuclear antigen of differentiated epidermis cells is localized in the cytoplasm of cortical and medullar thymus epithelial cells and in the perinuclear zone of some cells in Hassall's corpuscles. The cytoplasmic antigen of differentiated epidermal cells is detected only in the cytoplasm of the Hassall's corpuscle cells. The ability of many tissues (possibly all of them) and in the first turn of epidermis to produce lymphokine along with immunomodulating properties of thymus hetero-organic antigens enables to consider these thymus antigens as a complex of immunomodulating factor proper for other tissues. These factors may provide the competence of certain T-cell subpopulations to different organ's tissues necessary for proceedings them the immunological survey both in normal and pathological conditions.