Separation of human thymocytes at different stages of maturation by centrifugation on a discontinuous gradient of colloidal silica gel.

Separation of human intrathymic cells on a discontinuous gradient of colloidal silica gel (Percoll) yielded four layers. The first (density 1.054 +/- 0.002 g/ml) contained stromal cells and a few thymocytes positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt), most of which were bound to large Tdt-negative non-T cells. The second layer (1.069+/- 0.003 g/ml) contained large Tdt-negative thymocytes. The third and forth layers (1.075 +/-0.004 and 1.085 +/- 0.003 g/ml, respectively) contained smaller T cells, more than 95% of which were Tdt-positive. Functional studies revealed that cells from the first layer had a high level of spontaneous [3H]thymidine uptake but did not respond to lectins; the second layer responded to PHA, ConA, and allogeneic stimuli; and the third and fourth layers did not respond to lectin stimulation. Addition of cells from the first layer to the other layers at a 1 : 10 ratio significantly increased the mitogenic responses of the cells from the second layer, but not of those from the third or fourth layer. These results suggest that, as in mice and rats, low-density intrathymic thymocytes in humans represent more mature T cells, the percentage of which increases with age.