Bockman D E, Kirby M L
J Immunol. 1985 Aug;135(2 Suppl):766s-768s.
The thymus is formed by contributions from different sources which must interact in a precisely timed sequence for proper development. Pharyngeal pouch epithelium interacts with embryonic connective tissue in preparation for migration of blood-borne lymphoid stem cells into the thymic primordium. The embryonic connective tissue in this region is derived from neural crest. Ablation of small portions of neural crest prevents or alters the development of the thymus. Other pharyngeal pouch derivatives such as thyroids and parathyroids are affected. Furthermore, defects in the heart and great vessels are produced. These observations establish experimentally the role of neural crest in defective immune development such as that seen in the DiGeorge syndrome. It seems likely that various combinations of defects will be rendered more understandable through recognition of the contributions made from neural crest.
胸腺由不同来源的组织构成，这些组织必须按照精确的时间顺序相互作用，才能正常发育。咽囊上皮与胚胎结缔组织相互作用，为血源性淋巴干细胞迁移至胸腺原基做准备。该区域的胚胎结缔组织源自神经嵴。切除小部分神经嵴会阻止或改变胸腺的发育。其他咽囊衍生物，如甲状腺和甲状旁腺也会受到影响。此外，还会出现心脏和大血管缺陷。这些观察结果通过实验证实了神经嵴在免疫发育缺陷（如迪格奥尔格综合征所见）中的作用。通过认识神经嵴的贡献，似乎各种缺陷组合将更容易理解。
