Martín-Fontecha A, Schuurman H J, Zapata A
Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
Thymus. 1994;22(4):201-13.
The thymus is the privileged lymphoid organ for T-cell differentiation, including clonal selection. Precursor thymocytes are selected on the basis of their ability to recognize self-major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHC) that are expressed on thymic stromal cells, including epithelial cells, macrophages, and interdigitating cells/dendritic cells (IDCs/DCs). Epithelial cells have been associated with positive selection, and dendritic cells with negative selection, but the exact role played by these stromal elements is still unresolved. This review focuses on the different in vitro and in vivo approaches that have been used to elucidate the role of thymic stromal cell types in thymic function, and on a critical evaluation of these approaches.
胸腺是T细胞分化（包括克隆选择）的特殊淋巴器官。前体胸腺细胞根据其识别在胸腺基质细胞（包括上皮细胞、巨噬细胞和交错突细胞/树突状细胞（IDCs/DCs））上表达的自身主要组织相容性复合体分子（MHC）的能力进行选择。上皮细胞与阳性选择相关，而树突状细胞与阴性选择相关，但这些基质成分所起的确切作用仍未明确。本综述重点关注用于阐明胸腺基质细胞类型在胸腺功能中作用的不同体外和体内方法，以及对这些方法的批判性评估。
