Phenotype of thymic stromal cells. An immunoelectron microscopic study with anti-IA, anti-MAC-1, and anti-MAC-2 antibodies.

To better comprehend the thymic microenvironment, it is necessary to identify the antigenic profile of cells forming the thymic reticulum which are involved in intrathymic T cell differentiation. These cells are of three types: epithelial cells, macrophages, and interdigitating cells (IDC). Although several studies have been done on thymus section in light microscopy, identification of the positive cells, and mainly the antigenic equipment of the macrophages and IDC has not been clearly analyzed. Morphology, in electron microscopy is so far the best method to identify the different types of cells, and immunoelectron microscopy on thymic sections may be the best method to define clearly stromal cell phenotypes. In the present paper, we analyzed two antigens which classically define the macrophage family, Mac-1 and Mac-2, as well as major histocompatibility complex class II antigen which is present on epithelial cells and on bone marrow derived stromal cells. We show that epithelial cells are Ia+ Mac-1-, Mac-2-; macrophages are all Mac-1+, Mac-2+ but only half are Ia+; IDC are Ia+, Mac-1+, Mac-2+. These results show that IDC and macrophages both express antigens which were originally described as macrophage-specific.