A causal link between lymphopenia and autoimmunity

A Khoruts, JM Fraser - Immunology letters, 2005 - Elsevier
It is well recognized that the composition of the mature T cell population is subject to strict
homeostatic control. The TCR repertoire and relative proportions of various T cell subsets
are established in the thymus, and continue to be shaped and regulated in the periphery. As
the thymic function declines, peripheral homeostatic mechanisms assume increasing
importance. Indeed, loss of thymic function does not lead to progressive decline of T cell
numbers because peripheral mechanisms ensure that the size of the T cell population is …