The thymus gland is a primary lymphatic tissue located in the thorax that provides a microenvironment for thymopoiesis. Essentially all mature T lymphocytes must reside in this tissue for some period of time. Double negative prothymocytes (no surface cluster differentiation 4 (CD4) or CD8 antigens) enter at the subcapsular cortex and migrate to the corticomedullary region. Cortical thymocytes acquire either CD4 or CD8 before becoming double positive (CD4 and CD8 expressing) during this transit period. Most thymocytes become apoptotic, die and are phagocytosed by macrophages or epithelial cells. This is termed negative selection, and only those cells that down-regulate CD4 or CD8 expression are positively selected to emigrate via the corticomedullary venules or lymphatics. This differentiation process results in mature T cells that are self-tolerant and recognize foreign antigens only in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II antigens. Thus, T helper cells (CD4 positive)
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