Response to comment on "Cathepsin-L influences the expression of extracellular matrix in lymphoid organs and plays a role in the regulation of thymic output and of peripheral T cell number".

In our article published in The Journal of Immunology in June 1, 2005 ([1][1]), we reported that lymph nodes from nackt mice ( CTSL nkt / CTSL nkt ) are hypertrophied, showing a normal absolute number of CD4+ T cells and a marked increase in the number of CD8+ T lymphocytes. Correlatively,