Antigens shared by the immune and central nervous systems (CNS) have been described repeatedly.
The present study reports the expression of the CD6 lymphocyte differentiation antigen in normal human
brain evidenced by immunohistochemistry and Northern blot analysis. A panel of various anti-CD6
monoclonal antibodies (mabs) tested on serial cryostat sections identified CD6-positive cells randomly
scattered in parenchyma of all examined brain areas. Northern blot analysis with a highly sensitive cRNA
probe revealed a 3.1 kb CD6-specific mRNA in various brain regions, especially in basalganglia and cortex
cerebellum. Staining with mabs raised against different hematopoietic cell types, as well as hybridization
with probes specific for the ß- and y-T cell receptor (TCR) chains support the notion that CD6 is
expressed by original brain cells. The nature of the CD6-positive cell type and possible functions of shared
antigens in immune and nervous systems are discusse
