Abstract
The acute involution of the thymus is induced by either exogenous or endogenous factors, including some infections (infection type involution). The present study was focused on both detection and immunocytochemical analysis of NGF immunopositive mast cells in child thymus with acute infection-induced involution. Autopsy thymus specimens from children with infection diseases (Sepsis, Encephalomyelitis, Varicella) were examined at light and electron microscopic level and compared to normal infantile thymuses. We observed a redistribution of NGF immunopositive mast cells in infection-affected child thymus, which lobular architecture was collapsed. A positive correlation between the degree of the involutive changes, increased distribution and enhanced NGF immunoreactivity of mast cells was defined. The possible involvement of NGF immunopositive mast cells in the process of acute thymus involution is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- NGF:
-
nerve growth factor
- MC:
-
mast cells
References
Aloe, L., L. Bracci-Laudiero, S. Bonini and L. Manni. 1997a. The expanding role of nerve growth factor: from neutrophic activity to immunologic diseases. Allergy 52:883–894.
Turrini, P., M. L. Zaccaria and L. Aloe. 2001. Presence and possible functional role of nerve growth factor in the thymus. Cell Mol. Biol. 47:55–64.
Aloe, L. and R. Levi-Montalcini. 1977. Mast cells increase in tissues of neonatal rats injected with the nerve growth factor. Brain Res. 133:358–366.
Leon, A., A. Buriani, R. Dal Toso, M. Fabris, S. Romanello, L. Aloe and R. Levi-Montalcini. 1994. Mast cells synthesize, store, and release nerve growth factor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:3739–3743.
Aloe, L., A. Micera, L. Bracci-Laudiero, E. Vigneti and P. Turrini. 1997b. Presence of nerve growth factor in the thymus of prenatal, postnatal and pregnant rats. Thymus 24:221–231.
Aloe, L. and A. Micera. 1999. Nerve growth factor: basic and clinical trials. Biomed. Rev. 10:3–14.
Aloe, L., P. Tirassa, L. Bracci-Laudiero. 2001. NGF in neurological and non-neurological diseases: basic findings and emerging pharmaceutical perspectives. Curr. Pharm. Des. 7:113–123.
Chaldakov, G. N., I. S. Stankulov, M. Fiore, P. Ghenev and L. Aloe. 2001. Nerve growth factor levels and mast cells distribution in human coronary atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis 159:57–66.
Tuveri, M. A., G. Passiu, A. Mathieu and L. Aloe. 1993. Nerve growth factor and mast cells distribution in the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin. Exp. Rheumatol. 11:319–322.
Crivellato, E., B. Nico, M. Battistig, C. A. Beltrami and D. Ribatti. 2005. The thymus is site of mast cell development in chicken embryos. Anat. Embryol. 209:243–249.
Gulubova, M. and A. Vodenicharov. 2001. Structural examination of tryptase-, and VIP-positive mast cells in the common bile duct of patients with lithiasis. Acta. Histochem. 103:437–452.
Turke, P. W. 1997. Thymic involution. Immunol. Today 18:407.
Rodewald, H. R. 1998. The thymus in the age of retirement. Nature 396:630–631.
Bodey, B., B. J. R. Bodey, S. E. Siegel and H. E. Kaiser. 1997. Involution of the mammalian thymus. One of the leading regulators of aging. In Vivo 11:421–440.
Griffith, R. C. 1990. Thymus gland. In: Kissane JM(ed) Anderson’s Pathology. C. V. Mosby, St. Louis, MO, pp 1493–1504.
Garcia-Zuarez, O., M. Perez-Perez, A. Germana, I. Esteban and G. Germana. 2003. Involvement of growth factors in thymic involution. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:514–523.
Sempowski, G. D., M. E. Rhein, R. M. Scearce and B. F. Haynes. 2002. Leukemia inhibitory factor is a mediator of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide-induced acute thymic atrophy. Eur. J. Immunol. 32:3066–3070.
Marinova, Ts. 2005. Epithelial framework reorganization during human thymus involution. Gerontology 51:14–18.
Van Baarlen, J., H. J. Schuurman, R. Reitsma and J. Huber. 1989. Acute thymus involution during infancy and childhood: immunohistology of the thymus and peripheral lymphoid tissues after acute illness. Pediatr. Pathol. 9:261–275.
Van Vliet, E., M. Melis and W. van Ewijk. 1984. Immunohistology of thymic nurse cells. Cell Immunol. 87:101–109.
Glass, R., A. Townsend-Nicholson and A. G. Burnstock. 2000. P2 receptors in the thymus: expression of P2X and P2Y receptors in adult rats, an immunohistochemical and in situ hybridisation study. Cell Tissue Res. 300:295–306.
Marinova, Ts., K. Velikova, D. Petrov, N. Kutev, I. Stankulov, G. Chaldakov, V. Triaca, L. Manni and L. Aloe. 2004. Structural and ultrastructural localization of NGF and NGF receptors in the thymus of subjects affected by Myasthenia gravis. Autoimmunity 37:587–592.
Von Gaudecker, B., M. Larche, H. J. Schuurman and M. A. Ritter. 1989. Analysis of the fine distribution of thymic epithelial microenvironmental molecules by immuno-electron microscopy. Thymus 13:187–194.
Stampachiacchiere, B., T. Marinova, K. Velikova, S. Philipov, I. Stankulov, G. Chaldakov, M. Fiore and L. Aloe. 2004. Altered levels of nerve growth factor in the thymus of subjects with myasthenia gravis. J. Neuroimmunol. 146:199–202.
Aspinal, R. and D. Andrew. 2000 Thymic involution in aging. J. Clin. Immunol. 20:250–256.
Haynes, B. F. 2001. The human thymus during aging. Immunol. Res. 22:253–261.
Goya, R. G. and F. Bolognani. 1999. Homeostasis, thymic hormones and aging. Gerontology 45:174–178.
Dominguez-Gerpe, L. and M. Rey-Mendez. 2000. Role of pre-T cells and chemottractants on stress-associated thymus involution. Scand. J. Immunol. 52:470–476.
Li, L., H. C. Hsu, G. E. William, C. R. Stockard, K. J. Ho, P. Lott, P. A. Yang, H. G. Zhang and J. D. Mountz. 2003. Cellular mechanism of thymic involution. Scand. J. Immunol. 57:410–422.
Von Gaudecker, B. 1978. Ultrastructure of the age-involuted adult human thymus. Cell Tissue Res. 186:507–525.
Vega, J. A., O. Garcia-Suarez, J. Hannestad, M. Perez-Perez and A. German. 2003. Neurotrophins and the immune system. J. Anat. 203:1–19.
Yoon, S., H. W. Lee, S. Y. Baek, B. S. Kim, J. B. Kim and S. A. Lee. 2003. Upregulation of TrkA neutrophin receptor expression in the thymic subcapsular, paraseptal, perivascular, and cortical epithelial cells during thymus regeneration. Histochem. Cell Biol. 119:55–68.
Montecino-Rodriguez, E. and K. Dorshkind. 1997. Thymocyte development in vitro: implications for studies of aging and thymic involution. Mech. Ageing Dev. 93:47–57.
Varas, A., E. Jimenez, R. Sacedon, M. Rodriguez-Mahou, E. Maroto, A.G. Zapata and A. Vecente. 2000. Analysis of the human neonatal thymus: evidence for a transient thymic involution. J. Immunol. 164:6260–6267.
Acknowledgement
The contribution of L. Aloe is supported by Progetto Firb (RBAU01PCRL) and by CNR Grant, Italy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marinova, T., Philipov, S. & Aloe, L. Nerve Growth Factor Immunoreactivity of Mast Cells in Acute Involuted Human Thymus. Inflammation 30, 38–43 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-006-9019-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-006-9019-6