Immunohistological demonstration of terminal transferase (TdT) in the age-involuted human thymus.

By using a sensitive immunoperoxidase technique, serological determinants of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT, E. C. 2.7.7.31) were found in cortical lymphocytes of thymus biopsies of adult and aged persons (21-70 years) of both sexes. In contrast to biochemical determinations, specific immunohistological studies showed that TdT is continuously present in very large numbers of cortical thymic lymphocytes during human life, despite subtotal physiological involution of the thymus.