Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) expression during the development of human fetal cerebral occipital lobe, cerebellum, and hematopoietic organs.

In adults, under physiological conditions proteins of the major histocompatibility complex, class II (MHC II) molecules are synthesized and then presented on the surface of the cells known under a common name as antigen presenting cells (APCs). Dendritic cells (DCs), microglia, macrophages, ameboid microglia and lymphocytes B are qualified as APCs. The aim of present study was to evaluate the expression of MHC II molecules in the central nervous system (CNS) and hematopoietic organs during the fetal development. Observations were made on the cerebral occipital lobe, cerebellum, thymus, spleen and liver of 30 normal human fetuses, between 11 and 22 week of gestation (GW). Histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques were used to identify cells with expression of MHC II molecules. In the brain, MHC II molecules were detected on macrophages/ameboid microglia in meninges, choroid plexus and single cells of ramified microglia in deeper layers of the cortex and white matter. In the other organs besides macrophages and dendritic cells, MHC II molecules were also immunopositive in thymic epithelial cells, and in the spleen and liver also in other cells of stroma and lobule. The expression of MHC II molecules on so extensive population of cells, at an early stage of the fetal development, may evidence their significant involvement in histogenesis and morphogenesis. It seems that in adults the complex of MHC II with protein is originated from the foreign antigen. On the contrary, during normal fetal development the complex of MHC II with protein origins most probably from the fetus own structures.