Cell Proliferation during the Maturation of Natural Killer Cells

The requirement for cell division during the maturation of natural killer (NK) cells was studied by following the appearance of donor-type NK cells in irradiated mice injecied with bone marrow cells and by blocking the cell division at different times during this development. Irradiation (700 rad) or treatment with hydroxyurea (1 mg/g body weight, twice daily) of the recipieni mice 7 days after the bone marrow cell inoculation inhibited the appearance of normal NK cell levels, suggesting that the NK cell progenitors are dividing cells. Blocking of the cell division in chimeras that had already developed high NK levels decreased the splenic NK activity, indicating the presence of a dividing NK cell population at this stage of maturation. These results are in accordance with the concept that mature NK cells are nondividing cells but are derived from actively proliferating progenitors in the bone marrow, and some of the first NK cells appearing in the spleen from the bone marrow can still be dividing.     

Simultaneous development of cells with large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology and natural killer (NK) cell lytic activity after bone marrow (BM) transplantation in mice.

In the present study we investigated the development of natural killer (NK) cell lytic activity, and its correlation with the appearance of cells with large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). NK activity was first found 7 days after bone marrow (BM) reconstitution, simultaneously with the appearance of the first LGLs. The number of LGLs, as well as the lytic activity, increased until Day 16 after BM reconstitution, after which they started to decrease, reaching the normal values of controls in 30 days. These early appearing LGLs differed somewhat from mature-type LGLs; they were larger, blast-like cells (found in the lower density fractions of Percoll gradient) and had a basophilic cytoplasma, in contrast to a pale cytoplasm in mature LGLs, but they expressed the asialo GM 1 (AGM 1) antigen like normal NK cells. Those NK cells that appeared first also tended to be lytically more effective than their mature counterparts. Taken together, these data suggest that the correlation between LGL morphology and NK lytic activity also holds true during the development of NK cells from their non-lytic precursors in the bone marrow.     

Bone marrow transplantation in the rat. Lytic functions of inflammatory leukocytes during acute graft-versus-host disease

We have isolated inflammatory leukocytes from various lymphoid and parenchymal organs after total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation from either an allogeneic or syngeneic strain and tested their ability to perform lytic functions in vitro. No direct lytic activity (i.e. cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CTL) to relevant strain-derived target cells in the lymphoid or parenchymal target organs was seen preceding or during acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). Instead, the leukocytes of the spleen and blood and the inflammatory cells of liver and lungs were efficient effector cells against recipient-derived target cells in the presence of relevant antibody (antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity, ADCC). The NK activity against YAC-1 (natural killer, NK) target cells was first high in the spleen, but when the aGHVD appeared in the allograft marrow recipients the NK activity decreased in the spleen with a concomitant increase in the liver, but not in the other parenchymal target organs. At the same time no NK activity was seen in the syngeneic marrow graft recipients' parenchymal organs. These observations suggest functional differences in the structure of inflammation in the different target organs of aGVHD.     

Quantification of the progenitors for thymic T cells in various organs

Partial characterization and frequency determination of the progenitors for thymic T cells in various organs were made by transferring cells directly into the thymus (intrathymically, i.t.). B10. Thy-1.1 (H-2b, Thy-1.1) mice were used as the donor, and C57BL/6 (H-2b, Thy-1.2) mice that had been whole body irradiated with 800 rads and reconstituted with 10(7) syngeneic (B6) bone marrow (BM) cells were used as the recipient. BM cells, spleen cells and thymus cells from young adults and fetal liver cells (day 14 of gestation) were treated with anti-Thy-1.1 antibody plus complement, and transferred i.t. The generation of Thy-1.1+ donor type cells in the recipient's thymus was investigated by using flow cytometry. From the time course of generation, it was shown that the progenitor cells in the thymus were distinct from those in other organs. After the transfer of thymic non-T cells, donor-type cells began to generate on the 4th day, the proportion of donor-type T cells increased quickly thereafter, and the progenitors in this organ ceased to produce T cells by day 21. On the other hand, a latent period of about 10 days was required for progenitor cells in the BM, spleen or fetal liver to generate T cells, and T cell producing-activity of the progenitor cells in these organs lasted as long as 7 weeks. The frequency of progenitor cells was analyzed by transferring serial dilutions of anti-Thy-1.1 plus complement-treated cells i.t. and investigating the generation of donor-type T cells in the recipient's thymus on day 11 in the case transferred with thymic cells and on day 21 in other cases. The proportion of negative recipients which did not contain detectable levels of donor-type cells was plotted on a logarithmic scale against the number of cells transferred on a linear scale. The progenitor cell frequencies in BM, spleen, thymus and fetal liver were estimated to be 12.5 x 10(-5), 6.25 x 10(-5), 0.22 x 10(-5) and 0.14 x 10(-5), respectively. The reliability of the frequency determination was supported by the finding that when a limited number (10(3)) of a 1:1 mixture of BM cells from two mutually identifiable donors was transferred i.t., most of the recipients were negative for donor-type T cells and 3 out of 4 positive recipients were seeded by progenitor cells of a single donor.     

Mixed Chimerism and Secondary Graft Failure in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Aplastic Anemia

Mixed chimerism (MC) and/or secondary graft failure (SGF) with recipient- or donor-type chimerism is a major obstacle in allogeneic transplantation for aplastic anemia (AA). From a registry database in Japan, patients with AA age >15 years who underwent a first allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation between 2000 and 2014 and achieved engraftment were included in this study. MC that did not require either granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) or transfusion support (group 1), MC (not SGF) that required G-CSF and/or transfusion support (group 2), SGF with MC or complete recipient-type chimerism (group 3), and SGF with complete donor-type chimerism (group 4) developed in 26, 16, 19, and 17 patients, respectively. The overall median duration of follow-up for survivors was 1727 days. The overall survival (OS) was 90.4% at 1 year and 83.5% at 5 years in patients without MC or SGF (n = 340), which was not different from the OS in groups 1 and 2. However, inferior OS was observed in group 3 (1 year, 52.1%; 5 years, 52.1%) and group 4 (1 year, 82.4%; 5 years, 56.3%). In multivariate analyses, the use of fludarabine (Flu) and the absence of irradiation in conditioning were associated with the development of SGF with MC or complete recipient-type chimerism, and the use of Flu in conditioning was associated with SGF with complete donor-type chimerism. In conclusion, the use of Flu may affect the occurrence of SGF with both recipient-type and donor-type chimerism.     

IL-12 prevents neonatal induction of transplantation tolerance in mice

We investigated the effect of IL-12 on the induction of transplantation tolerance by neonatal injection of allogenic cells. We first observed that injection of newborn BALB/c mice with IL-12 and (A/J × BALB/c) F1 spleen cells prevented the Th2 alloimmune response induced by neonatal inoculation of F1 cells alone and allowed the differentiation of T cells secreting high amounts of IL-2 and IFN-γ in mixed lymphocyte cultures with donor-type stimulators. Furthermore, IL-12 administration resulted in the emergence of anti-donor cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses although at lower levels than in control uninjected mice. In parallel, we found that mice injected at birth with IL-12 and F1 cells did not develop chimerism and were able to reject a donor-type skin graft as efficiently as control mice. We conclude that IL-12 inhibits the Th2 polarization of the newborn response to alloantigens and prevents thereby the establishment of transplantation tolerance.     

Facilitation of hematopoietic recovery by bone grafts with intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation

We have previously shown that T cells can acquire donor-type major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction and can interact with both donor-type antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and B cells, when adult donor bones are co-grafted with intravenous (IV) injection of bone marrow cells (BMCs) in order to supply donor bone marrow (BM) stromal cells. We have also found that the direct injection of donor BMCs into recipient BM (intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation: IBM-BMT) produces more rapid reconstitution (including T-cell functions) and higher survival rates than IV injection (IV-BMT) even in chimerism-resistant combinations. In the present study, we show that the co-administration of bones from suckling (2-3 days old) donor mice is also effective in the IBM-BMT system. Even when a relatively low number of BMCs were injected into adult (more than 15 weeks old) mice, complete reconstitution was achieved in the mice that had received IBM-BMT+bone grafts, but not in the mice that had received IBM-BMT alone. Most BM and splenic adherent cells obtained from the recipients that had received IBM-BMT+bone grafts were reconstituted by donor-type cells. Both T-cell proliferation and plaque-forming cell assays indicated that the T cells of such mice showed donor-type MHC restriction. Moreover, the analyses of thymic sections using confocal microscopy revealed that donor BM stromal cells had migrated into the thymus. Thus, the co-administration of donor bones has great advantages for allogeneic BMT in adult mice.     

Natural killer cell receptor—Repertoire and functions after induction therapy by polyclonal rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin in unsensitized kidney transplant recipients

Polyclonal rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) is widely used in solid organ transplantation (SOT) as induction therapy or to treat corticosteroid-resistant rejection. In vivo, the effect of rATG on natural killer (NK) cells has not been studied. These cells are of particular relevance after SOT because classical immunosuppressive drugs do not inhibit or even can activate NK cells. A cohort of 20 recipients at low immunological risk, that had been receiving rATG as induction therapy, was analyzed for receptor repertoire, cytotoxicity and capacity of NK cells to secrete IFN-γ before kidney transplantation and at different time points thereafter. NK cells expressed fewer killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), fewer activating receptors NKG2D, but more inhibitory receptor NKG2A compatible with an immature phenotype in the first 6 months post transplantation. Both cytotoxicity of NK cells and the secretion of IFN-γ were preserved over time after transplantation.     

Donor brain death leads to differential immune activation in solid organs but does not accelerate ischaemia–reperfusion injury

A comparative analysis of inflammation between solid organs following donor brain death (BD) is still lacking and the detailed influence of BD accelerating ischaemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) post‐transplantation remains to be addressed. Applying a murine model of BD, we demonstrated that 4 h after BD organs were characterized by distinct inflammatory expression patterns. For instance, lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a marker of acute kidney injury, was selectively induced in BD livers but not in kidneys. BD further resulted in significantly reduced frequencies of CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺ T cells and NKp46⁺ NK cells in the liver, whereas BD kidneys and hearts were characterized by significantly lower frequencies of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Syngeneic models of kidney (KTx) and heart transplantation (HTx) illustrated stronger gene expression in engrafted BD hearts only, but 20 h post‐transplantation both organs displayed comparable intragraft lymphocyte frequencies, except for NK cells and graft function. Moreover, the complement factor C3d deposit detected in small vessels and capillaries in cardiac syngrafts did not significantly differ between BD and sham‐transplanted groups. Finally, no further influence of donor BD on graft survival was detected in an allogeneic heart transplantation setting (C57BL/6 grafts into BALB/c recipients). We show for the first time that BD organs are characterized by a varying inflammatory profile; however, BD does not accelerate IRI in syngeneic KTx and HTx. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

同种异基因骨髓细胞移植诱导嵌合体小鼠生成

采用C57BL/J和BALB/c两种小鼠进行骨髓细胞移植。移植前受体小鼠经 6 0Gy6 0 Coγ射线照射。用细胞染色法和流式细胞术分析了射线对小鼠淋巴细胞的损伤强度和照射后移植了骨髓细胞的小鼠在不同时间内的淋巴细胞亚群变化。结果表明 ,(1 ) 6 0Gyγ射线照射受体鼠 ,能杀伤 95 5 %的外周淋巴细胞 ,但是不影响自身H 2Kb 分子在淋巴细胞表面表达的百分数。残留细胞中CD3+ T细胞、NK1 1 + 淋巴细胞、CD3+ /NK1 1 + 淋巴细胞的阳性率分别由照射前的 40 44%增加到45 30 %、 1 1 3 %增加到 37 41 %和 1 0 7%增加到 5 86 % (P≤ 0 0 1 ) ;(2 )小鼠的淋巴细胞数量从照射后 30d开始恢复 ,到1 90d达到正常值 ;(3 )照射后进行同种异基因骨髓细胞移植后的第 60天 ,受体淋巴细胞表面自身H 2Kb 抗原表达下降 ,CD3+ /NK1 1 + 淋巴细胞百分数增加。随H 2Kb 的抗原表达的恢复 ,CD3+ /NK1 1 + 淋巴细胞百分数下降 ;(4)在细胞移植的第 1 90天 ,受体小鼠 (黑色 )表型呈现出供体鼠 (白色 )颜色特征。在嵌合体小鼠外周淋巴细胞中 ,有 2 5 %为供体H 2Kd 阳性细胞 ,CD3+ /NK1 1 + 淋巴细胞百分数为 1 88% ,明显高于正常值 (P≤ 0 0 1 )。以上结果表明 ,6 0Gy6 0 Coγ射线照射能诱导免疫耐受 ,其耐受性的形成可能与最初保     

Dissociation between onset of natural killer E-rosette forming cells and of T3-positive cells following HLA-mismatched T cell depleted bone marrow transplantation.

We have studied immunological reconstitution following partially HLA-incompatible T cell depleted bone marrow transplantation, compared with reconstitution following HLA identical T cell depleted and HLA identical untreated bone marrow transplantation. We often observed an early emergence of E-rosette forming cells that were T3 negative and displayed strong natural killer activity in the first group of patients. This activity was shown with fresh leucocytes as well as interleukin 2 grown cells. The appearance of T3+ cells was delayed in this situation compared to that observed in HLA identical bone marrow transplantation. The delay in T3+ cell differentiation and in cellular immune function development probably explains why NK rosette forming cells are early detected within 3-4 months following HLA mismatched bone marrow transplantation. This NK subset is likely to be present at an early stage in all types of bone marrow transplantation, but is most commonly observed simultaneously with the T3+ cells in HLA identical untreated bone marrow transplantation. The respective role of T cell depletion and HLA incompatibility in this phenomenon are discussed while patients' conditioning, cyclosporine A and graft-versus-host disease have been shown to be irrelevant for the dissociation between NK E-rosette forming cells and T3+ subset onsets.     

Non-CD34+ cells, especially CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD56+ natural killer cells, rather than CD34 cells, predict early engraftment and better transplantation outcomes in patients with hematologic malignancies after allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplantation.

The effect of the transplant dose of each cell subset on engraftment kinetics and transplantation outcomes was evaluated in HLA-identical allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Sixty-nine patients were included in this retrospective study. Engraftment kinetics, transplantation outcomes, and immune reconstitution up to 1 year after transplantation were analyzed according to the transplant dose of CD34+ and non-CD34+ cells, including natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T (Tc) cells. An accelerated neutrophil engraftment was strongly associated with a higher transplant dose of NK cells (12 versus 16 days, P < .001) and Tc cells (13 versus 16 days, P < .001) but not CD34+ cells (P = .442). Survival analyses revealed a favorable prognosis for patients who received a higher dose of non-CD34+ cell subsets, rather than CD34+ cells, in terms of overall survival (OS; P = .024 for NK cells and .050 for Tc cells) and nonrelapse mortality (NRM; P = .005 for NK cells, .060 for Tc cells). In addition, a higher transplant dose of NK and Tc cells was correlated with a faster lymphoid reconstitution. In multivariate analyses, rapid neutrophil engraftment was correlated with a higher transplant dose of NK cells (P = .001) and Tc cells (P = .004). Moreover, an increased OS was associated with the NK cell dose (P = .007) and chronic graft-versus-host disease (P = .009), whereas a decreased NRM was associated with the NK dose (P = .024). In conclusion, in a PBSCT setting, a higher transplant dose of NK and Tc cells accelerated neutrophil engraftment, improved the immune reconstitution, and decreased NRM, thereby increasing OS after allogeneic PBSCT.     

The chemokine receptor CCR7 controls lymph node-dependent cytotoxic T cell priming in alloimmune responses

The chemokine receptor CCR7 and its ligands regulate migration and colocalization of T cells and mature dendritic cells to and within secondary lymphoid organs. The requirement of CCR7 in efficient priming of allospecific cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells is poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate a role for CCR7 in the initiation of an alloimmune response and in the development of transplant rejection. Remarkably, in a model of acute allogeneic tumor rejection, CCR7(-/-) mice completely failed to reject subcutaneously injected MHC class I mismatched tumor cells and cytotoxic activity of allospecific T cells was severely compromised. When solid tumors derived from wild-type mice were transplanted, recipient CCR7(-/-) mice were capable of rejecting the allografts. In contrast, tumor allografts transplanted from CCR7(-/-) donors onto CCR7(-/-) recipients showed allograft survival up to 28 days, suggesting a critical function of CCR7 on donor-type passenger leukocytes in the initiation of cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell responses. In a heterotopic heart transplantation model CCR7 deficiency resulted in significantly prolonged but not indefinite allograft survival. Additional prolongation of graft survival was observed when hearts from CCR7(-/-) mice were used as donor organs. Our results define a key role for CCR7 in allogeneic T cell priming within the context of draining lymph nodes.     

Induction of tolerance in quadruple chimeric mice

Human cord blood (CB) contains hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors. Because the major limitation to a widespread use of CB for transplantation lies in its limited volume, it is necessary to combine the CB from several donors. In this study, we show that lethally irradiated mice can be reconstituted with the injection of a mixture of T cell-depleted bone marrow cells (BMCs; total, 3 x 10(6)) obtained from three fully allogeneic mouse strains in two different mouse combinations. A higher survival rate was obtained in the triple injection group than in mice injected with BMCs (1 x10(6)) obtained from a single mouse strain. In the mixed chimeric mice, three kinds of donor-type and recipient-type cells were detected in all the hematopoietic organs 1 month after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Mixed-lymphocyte reaction showed that the tolerance to both recipient-type and donor-type major histocompatibility complex determinants was induced in the chimeric mice. In the peripheral blood (PB) of these mice, only one type of cells from the three different donor strains became dominant in most chimeric mice and reached a stable level about 4 months after BMT. Polymerase chain reaction analyses, however, revealed that the skins from all the donors were accepted even when no cells with their phenotypes could be detected in the PB. These results suggest that both hemato-lymphoid reconstitution and stable tolerance to not only the recipient strain but also all the donor strains can be achieved in chimeric mice, indicating the possibility of mixed CB transplantation in humans.     

Interactions of allogeneic human mononuclear cells in the two-way mixed leucocyte culture (MLC): influence of cell numbers,subpopulations and cyclosporin

With organ allografts considerable numbers of donor-type mononuclear cells are transferred to the recipient, leading to bilateral immunological interactions between donor and recipient lymphocytes. To study such bilateral immune reactions in detail, human two-way MLC were performed. In this model proliferation kinetics, patterns of activation, and survival of the two populations were analysed, and the relevance of initial cell subset composition, relative cell numbers, and the effect of immunosuppression on this co-culture were evaluated. It could be demonstrated that with an initial 50:50 ratio of two populations of allogeneic cells one population dominated after 21 days of co-culture in 78 out of 80 combinations (97%) tested; the other population decreased markedly after an initially stable phase of 6–7 days. With unequal starting conditions the larger population dominated when resting cells were used, but small populations of preactivated cells or separated CD8⁺ cells could also dominate. Depletion of CD16⁺ natural killer (NK) cells and of CD2^? cells (B cell and monocytes) had no effect on domination. Addition of cyclosporin delayed or blocked the domination process while addition of IL-2 accelerated it. Disappearance of one population was associated with detection of apoptotic cells. The findings indicate that co-cultures of allogeneic mononuclear cells are generally not stable for more than 1 week, but lead to active elimination of one population. CD8⁺ cells and particularly preactivated cells seem to play the most important role in that process, while NK cells are of less importance. Cyclosporin can prolong survival of allogeneic cells in co-culture. These observations suggest that under the conditions of clinical organ transplantation even small amounts of immunocompetent donor cells transferred by the graft may persist for some time and may, thereby, have the chance to exert immunomodulatory functions.     

Regulatory T cells in stem cell transplantation: strategies and first clinical experiences

The adoptive transfer of donor-type CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) protects from graft-versus-host disease in murine bone marrow transplantation models. Results from first clinical trials exploring such strategies have recently been presented and seem to confirm the efficacy of Treg for the prevention of this severe complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Further improvements in Treg isolation and in vitro expansion technologies will facilitate the broader exploration of Treg therapies, for example, for the treatment of ongoing graft-versus-host disease or the prevention of graft rejection after solid organ transplantation.     

Immunologic effects of intermediate-dose IL-2 i.v. after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in pediatric solid tumors.

Adoptive immunotherapy with interleukin-2 (IL-2) may control minimal residual disease (MRD) and prevent relapse after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT). The objective of this study was to determine the immunologic effects of intermediate doses of intravenous (i.v.) IL-2 after AHCT in children with poor-prognosis solid tumors. Eleven patients received a median five cycles consisting of escalating doses of IL-2 i.v. for 5 days after a median time interval of 94 days post-AHCT. The phenotype of lymphocyte subsets was investigated before and after each cycle, and parallel determination of natural killer (NK) cell activity was performed. Immunotherapy induced a significant increase in total lymphocyte count (TLC), T, NK, and, to some extent, B cells. Among NK cells, CD56+ bright cells expanded more than CD56+ dim cells. High expansion of CD56+ cells with CD94 inhibitory receptor was observed, whereas no difference was recorded in the number of CD3+ CD56+ and CD8+ CD57+ cells. NK activity stabilized after the first cycle of IL-2 and remained elevated during the study period. Cycles of IL-2 immunotherapy induced repeated significant expansion of T cells and NK cells, mostly of the immature CD56+ bright phenotype. Despite enhanced NK activity, relapses occurred frequently, which might have been due to increased CD94 activation and a poor response from the cytotoxic NK T cells and CD8+ CD57+ T cells.     

NK细胞在异基因造血干细胞移植中对移植物抗白血病效应及移植物抗宿主病作用的影响

白血病复发和移植物抗宿主病（GVHD）是异基因造血干细胞移植（allo-HSCT）后影响病人生存的主要障碍。自然杀伤细胞（NK）独特的受体表达使其具有不同于一般免疫细胞的“同种反应性”效应,这种作用使NK细胞在增强移植物抗白血病效应（GVL）的同时抑制GVHD的发生,从而达到两者的分离。NK细胞在异基因造血干细胞移植中产生GVL及GVHD作用的机制以及影响因素的深入研究可能为探讨如何改善异基因造血干细胞移植预后提供有益的参考。     

NK cells recover early and mediate cytotoxicity via perforin/granzyme and Fas/FasL pathways in umbilical cord blood recipients

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is now widely accepted as a source of stem cells in patients with malignant hematologic and genetic disorders. We have recently reported that in a series of 30 pediatric UCB transplant recipients comparable outcome to that anticipated with other unrelated stem cell sources. In our series, however, the probability of GVHD for grade III-IV was 9% and no UCB recipient developed chronic GVHD. The reason for the low incidence of GVHD after UCB transplantation is not fully understood. Because functional NK cells are among the first population of lymphocytes to be detected in UCB transplant recipients, 2 months post-transplant on average, we wanted to establish whether NK cells could be implicated in reducing the risk of GVHD. Here, we confirm that early NK cells detected in UCB transplant recipients activate the granzyme/perforin lytic pathway and, in addition, they can mediate Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) activity, a finding not previously reported. Both pathways develop simultaneously and are detectable months before the other lymphocytes, notably CD8 are fully functional. Our contention, therefore, is that the low GVHD observed in UCB recipients may be partially due to early NK cells.     

Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes preferentially repopulate the intestinal epithelium

We have used C.B-17 severe combined immune deficiency (SCID)mice to study the repopulation of intestinal intraepithelialcells in these mice. We have found that intestinal intraepitheliallymphocytes (IELs) injected into SCID mice preferentially repopulatethe intestinal epithelium. About 5 weeks after injection wecan detect significant numbers of IEL in repopulated SCID mice.Repopulation occurs in {small tilde}70% of the injected miceand the amount of recovered cells per mouse is variable. Therecovered cells are of donor-type origin and exhibit a typicalIEL phenotype. The donor-type T lymphocytes that can sometimesbe found in other organs of IEL-repopulated SCID mice are generallyof low number. They are not stained with antibodies againstIEL-specific markers and their phenotypes appear to be moretypical for T cells normally found in these sites. In contrast,the intestinal epithelium of SCID mice cannot be efficientlyrepopulated with lymphocytes using cells of other organs includingthymocytes, Peyer's patch lymphocytes, and bone marrow cells.From our data we conclude that intestinal IELs are confinedto the intestinal epithelium and possibly contain a precursor-typecell that preferentially regenerates cells of its own population.