ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the expression of prolactin receptor(PRLr) in human immune system.Methods:Specimens of human immune system were obtained from both central and peripheral immune organs, including thymus(thymoma), bone marrow, lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Specific fragments of PRLr mRNA were obtained through RNA isolation and RT-PCR amplification and confirmed by DNA sequencing.Results:PRLr mRNA was detected from the thymoma, bone marrow, lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. All the PRLr cDNA fragments generated by PCR were as long as the expected length, which was 276 bp. The sequencing result of the cDNA was identical to the sequence of PRLr cDNA in GeneBank.Conclusion:The study confirmed that prolactin receptor mRNA was expressed in human central immune organs such as thymus and bone marrow and peripheral immune organs such as lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This phenomenon provided a biologic structural evidence that neuro-endocrine hormone PRL might play a modulating role on immune cells from receptor's point of view.