Analysis of CD3, CD68, CD163 and CK-19 expression in thymuses of neonatal children during infectious diseases

Objective: to identify the features of expression of immunohistochemical markers CD3, CD68, CD163 and CK-19 in thymus cells of neonatal children with enlarged thymus who died from infectious diseases. Material and methods. Autopsy material of children of early and late neonatal period (n=33) who died in the hospitals of Saratov city served as the material of the study. The causes of death of children were pneumonia (n=17), sepsis (n=16). Morphologic material was divided into 2 groups: Group 1 (comparison) — children whose thymus gland mass corresponded to the age norm (n=19); Group 2 (study group) — children whose thymus mass exceeded the age norm (n=14). The expression of the following markers was evaluated in the study: CD3, CD68, CD163 and CK-19. Results. As a result of the study, it was found that with increasing thymus mass in its cortical substance the proportion of CD3+ cells increase 2.7 times (p=0.009), the proportion of CD68+ cells increase almost threefold (p=0.009) CD163+ cells decreases by 10% (p=0.005), and CK-19 positive cells do not form a network. Conclusion. Increased thymus mass in children of early neonatal period with infectious diseases is accompanied by disturbances in the processes of migration and differentiation of lymphocytes.