A mature thymocyte-like phenotypic pattern on human cord circulating T-lymphoid cells.

Cord blood samples from healthy full-term newborns were tested with antimature and antiimmature lymphoid-cell monoclonal antibodies, as well as more traditional markers, in order to identify the phenotype of circulating precursor cells. The results demonstrated that human cord blood contains a lower number of OKT3+, E-rosetting mature T cells than adult blood, very high levels of OKT10+ cells, and few OKT9+, OKT8+ OKT3-, and OKT4+ OKT3- cells. Although the finding of OKT9+ and OKT10+ cord circulating cells could be indicative of cell activation, double marker studies in newborn blood pointed to phenotypically immature lymphoid subsets at different stages of maturation, according to Reinherz's hypothesis. In addition, the absence of nuclear Tdt-positive and hot-rosetting cells, together with the fact that most of these are OKT3+, OKT10+, OKT4+, or OKT8+ cells, suggests that the surface phenotype of newborn lymphocytes is similar to that of mature thymocytes.