Open AccessExpansion of a recurrent V beta 5.3+ T-cell population in newly diagnosed and untreated HLA-DR2 multiple sclerosis patients.
Author(s) -
Philippe Musette,
D. Béquet,
Christiane Delarbre,
Gabriel Gachelin,
Philippe Kourilsky,
Dominique Dormont
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.93.22.12461
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , beta (programming language) , t cell , t cell receptor , population , human leukocyte antigen , immunology , biology , myelin basic protein , homologous chromosome , microbiology and biotechnology , myelin , medicine , central nervous system , genetics , antigen , immune system , endocrinology , gene , environmental health , computer science , programming language
We have used a PCR-based technology to study the V beta 5 and V beta 17 repertoire of T-cell populations in HLA-DR2 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We have found that the five MS DR2 patients studied present, at the moment of diagnosis and prior to any treatment, a marked expansion of a CD4+ T-cell population bearing V beta 5-J beta 1.4 beta chains. The sequences of the complementarity-determining region 3 of the expanded T cells are highly homologous. One shares structural features with that of the T cells infiltrating the central nervous system and of myelin basic protein-reactive T cells found in HLA-DR2 MS patients. An homologous sequence was not detectable in MS patients expressing DR alleles other than DR2. However, it is detectable but not expanded in healthy DR2 individuals. The possible mechanisms leading to its in vivo proliferation at the onset of MS are discussed.