Assessment of the T-cell potential of CD34⁺CD41⁻, CD34⁺CD41⁺CD42⁻, and CD34⁻CD41⁺CD42⁻ cells from cord blood–cultured CD34⁺ cells.

(A) Cells extracted from each thymic lobe were labeled by R-PE anti–human CD4 and FITC anti–human CD8 mAbs and analyzed by flow cytometry after 30 days of culture. A: CD34⁻CD41⁺CD42⁻ cells. B/C/D: CD34⁺CD41⁻ cells. E/F/G: CD34⁺CD41⁺CD42⁻ cells. A: 20 000 cells per lobe. B/E: 5000 cells per lobe. C/F: 1000 cells per lobe. D/G: 200 cells per lobe. (B) Proportion of negative lobes in the FTOC assays. Limiting dilution analysis of the results shown in Figure 6 are illustrated. They are derived from the analysis of 6 NOD-SCID lobes by cell concentration after 30 days of organotypic cultures. Cells recovered from the thymic lobes were analyzed by flow cytometry after labeling with anti-CD4 and CD8 antibodies. The concentration of cells ranged from 5000 to 200 cells with 6 thymic lobes by cell concentration.