Human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells generate CD5⁺ B lymphoid cells in NOD/SCID mice

The nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) xenotransplantation model is increasingly utilized to study both human lymphohematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and committed cell types. Human B lymphoid cells develop and proliferate in this model. We found high numbers of CD19⁺CD5⁺ B lymphoid cells in the bone marrows and spleens of NOD/SCID mice transplanted with human CD34⁺ stem/progenitor cells. The CD5⁺ cells accounted for a particularly large percentage of the B lymphoid cells in the spleens of chimeras analyzed three months after transplantation. CD19⁺CD5⁺ cells from all the analyzed chimeras coexpressed HLA-DR, surface IgM, CD20, CD38, CD43, and CD45. However, CD19⁺CD⁺ cells were negative for κ light chain, CD10, CD11a, CD11b, CD15, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD34, CD35, CD44, CD62L, CD69, and CD71. Cell surface expression of the λ light chain, surface IgD, CD9, and CD40 antigens was detected in some but not all chimeras. Thus, the CD19⁺CD5⁺ cell population detected in our study has the phenotype of previously described CD5⁺ B lymphoid cells in humans and other species. The origin and role of the B lymphoid cells which express CD5 cell surface glycoprotein are poorly understood. The malignant cells in B lymphoid chronic lymphocytic leukemia express CD5, and the numbers of CD5⁺ B lymphoid cells are elevated in several autoimmune conditions. The human-NOD/SCID chimera system may provide an in vivo model to investigate the maturation and development of this cryptic human CD5⁺ B lymphoid cell subpopulation.