Structural and histochemical features of cortical thymic epithelial cells in mice with chemically-induced lymphoid leukemia.

Ultrastructural, enzyme histochemical (acide phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, neutral 5'-nucleotidase) and immunohistochemical (cytokeratins with monoclonal antibodies BH11 and BC3) features of the thymus cortical epithelial cells of leukemic DBA/2 inbred mice have been studied. In the leukemic mice epithelial cells appeared possessing some ultrastructural and histochemical features of cell activation. Lympho-epithelial complexes, composed mainly of BH11 and BC3 immunoreactive cells and of lymphoid cells were subcapsulary and subseptally found. It is discussed on the eventual involvement of the lympho-epithelial complexes in the intrathymic leukemogenesis during lymphoid leukemia.