A comparison of TRECs and flow cytometry for naive T cell quantification

Clin Exp Immunol. 2018 Feb;191(2):198-202. doi: 10.1111/cei.13062. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

Abstract

Assessment of thymic output by measurement of naive T cells is carried out routinely in clinical diagnostic laboratories, predominantly using flow cytometry with a suitable panel of antibodies. Naive T cell measurements can also be made using molecular analyses to quantify T cell receptor excision circle (TRECs) levels in sorted cells from peripheral blood. In this study we have compared TRECs levels retrospectively with CD45RA+ CD27+ T cells and also with CD45RA+ CD31+ T cells in 134 patient samples at diagnosis or during follow-up. Both panels provide naive T cell measurements that have a strongly positive correlation with TRECs numbers and are suitable for use with enumerating naive T cell levels in a clinical laboratory.

Keywords: CD31; CD45RA; TRECs; naive T cells.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Blood Cells / immunology*
  • Flow Cytometry / methods*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens / metabolism
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / metabolism

Substances

  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens