[Human peripheral blood CD4+ T-lymphocytes reconstituting severe combined immunodeficient mouse-human cell immune system and its immunological function].

OBJECTIVE

To observe whether severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) mice can reconstitute human cell immune system by adoptive transferring of human peripheral blood CD4+ T-lymphocytes to the peritoneal cavity in SCID mice, and to determine the characteristics and function of SCID mice immune system after the reconstitution.

METHODS

SCID mice were injected mature human CD4+ T-lymphocytes to the peritoneal cavity, accompanied with the stimulation of rIL-2 after the injection. Six weeks after the injection, mice were killed in batch, the form and dimension of liver and spleen were observed. The DNA of human lymphocytes was detected in SCID mouse peripheral blood by PCR amplification. The lymphocytes phenotype of SCID mouse immune organs were assayed with immunohistochemistry. The concentration of human cytokines in SCID mouse blood serum was assayed with ELISA after transplanting xenografts.

RESULTS

Intraperitoneal injection of SCID mice with mature human peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes could graft human cell immune system to SCID mice. Human CD4+ T lymphocytes were found in the liver and spleen, and the immunological function of lymphocytes was normal. The HLA-II constant region segment of human lymphocytes was found in hu-CD4+ T-SCID mouse peripheral blood by PCR amplification. Human IL-2, TNF-alpha, and INF-gamma were found in the serum of hu-CD4+ T-SCID mice.

CONCLUSION

Intraperitoneal injection of SCID mice with mature human peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes can result in a human cell immune system. The method is simple, quick and has abundant donors.