Is the thymus a target organ in infectious diseases?

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Is the thymus a target organ in infectious diseases?

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 1992;87 Suppl 5:73-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94111680
Savino W; de Moraes M do C; Barbosa SD; Da Fonseca EC; De Almeida VC; Hontebeyrie-Joscowicz M; Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de; Janeiro, Brasil.

Abstract: The thymus is a central lymphoid organ, in which T cell precursors differentiate and generate most of the so-called T cell repertoire. Along with a variety of acute infectious diseases, we and others determined important changes in both microenvironmental and lymphoid compartments of the organ. For example, one major and common feature observed in acute viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases, is a depletion of cortical thymocytes, mostly those bearing the CD4-CD8 double positive phenotype. This occurs simultaneously to the relative enrichment in medullary CD4 or CD8 single positive cells, expressing high densities of the CD3 complex. Additionally we noticed a variety of changes in the thymic microenvironment (and particularly its epithelial component), comprising abnormal location of thymic epithelial cell subsets as well has a denser Ia-bearing cellular network. Moreover, the extracellular matrix network was altered with an intralobular increase of basement membrane proteins that positively correlated with the degree of thymocyte death. Lastly, anti-thymic cell antibodies were detected in both human and animal models of infectious diseases, and in some of them a phenomenon of molecular mimicry could be evidenced. Taken together, the data reviewed herein clearly show that the thymus should be regarded as a target in infectious diseases.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Acute Disease Animal Atrophy Autoantibodies/IMMUNOLOGY Cell Differentiation Chagas Disease/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Epithelium/PATHOLOGY Extracellular Matrix/METABOLISM/PATHOLOGY Human Infection/IMMUNOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't T-Lymphocyte Subsets/PATHOLOGY Thymus Gland/IMMUNOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL
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M9440869

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