Characterization of CD34+ thymocytes in newborn dogs

Using two-color flow cytometry, we characterized CD34+ cells in the newborn canine thymus. CD34+ thymic cells comprised approximately 5% of cells recovered by thymus tissue teasing and both large and small thymocytes have been present in this population, the former being 7–12 times more frequent. All CD34+ cells expressed the pan-leukocyte antigen CD45. The expression of CD44 profile on the large and small CD34+ thymocytes differed: almost all large CD34+ cells were CD44+, while only 75% of small CD34+ thymocytes co-expressed the CD44 antigen. We have previously described that CD172α is present on the surface of CD34+ bone marrow cells in dogs. In the thymus, CD172α was expressed on 5–10% and less than 5% of large and small CD34+ cells, respectively. Some CD34+ thymocytes also co-expressed T-lineage-specific markers like CD3, CD4, CD8, TCR1 and TCR2. Their expression increased during the large-to-small thymocyte transition. Based on our findings we suggest that thymocyte progenitors enter their primary differentiation center as large CD34+, CD44+, CD45+ and CD172α+ cells. T-cell specific markers appear on their surface at early stages of differentiation. As the size of progenitors decreases with terminal primary differentiation, the CD34, CD44, and CD172α surface markers are down-regulated.