Interaction of mature CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells with dendritic cells triggers the development of tertiary lymphoid structures in the thyroid
J. Clin. Invest. Tatjana Marinkovic, et al. 116:2622 doi:10.1172/JCI28993 [Go to this article.]

Figure 1
CCL21-induced formation of lymphoid structures in the thyroid does not depend on the activity of LTi cells. TGCC6/21 mice were crossed with Id2-deficient mice to obtain mice with thyroid-specific expression of chemokine and no LTi cells (referred to as TGCCL21/Id2^–/– mice). Lymph nodes were present in TGCCL21/Id2^+/– (arrowheads) and absent in TGCCL21/Id2^–/– mice (n = 4). All TGCL21/Id2^–/– mice analyzed had lymphocytic infiltrates in the thyroid that were morphologically indistinguishable from the ones observed in TGCCL21/Id2^+/– mice. Note segregation of B (B220⁺) and T (CD3⁺) cells, the presence of PNAd⁺ HEVs, upregulation of ICAM and VCAM expression, accumulation of CD11c⁺ DCs, clusters of CD35⁺ follicular DCs, and the presence of an ER-TR7⁺ reticulum meshwork in both strains. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.