Open AccessElevation of activated γδ T cell receptor bearing T lymphocytes in patients with autoimmune chronic liver disease
Author(s) -
WEN L.,
PEAKMAN M.,
MIELIVERGANI G.,
VERGANI D.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb06881.x
Subject(s) - t cell receptor , receptor , t cell , immunology , medicine , pathogenesis , autoimmune hepatitis , endocrinology , human leukocyte antigen , delta , hepatitis , biology , antigen , immune system , engineering , aerospace engineering
SUMMARY To study the possible role of T cells bearing the γδ T cell receptor (TCR) heterodimer in the pathogenesis of autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AI‐CAH) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in children, we measured levels of γδ + T cells in the peripheral blood, assessed the proportion of cells bearing the disulphide‐linked (BB3 + ) and non‐disulphide‐linked (A13 + ) subtypes of the receptor, and studied the co‐expression of TCR‐γδ and the activation markers HLA‐DR and IL‐2 receptor (IL‐2R), and the memory cell marker CD45RO. Percentage levels and absolute numbers of γδ + T cells were higher in both groups of patients than in controls ( P <0.01), mainly as a result of an increase in both percentage levels and absolute numbers of the A13 + subtype ( P <0.001). Coexpression of IL‐2R and TCR‐γδ was not found in controls but was present in some patients with AI‐CAH (four out of 17) and PSC (six out of 12) at low levels (median 2.3%, range 1.7–5.0%). Expression of HLA‐DR on γδ + T cells was similar in both groups of patients and controls. The majority of γδ + T cells in children with AI‐CAH and PSC also expressed CD45RO (74.7 ± 18.4% and 79.8±24.3%, respectively) at levels significantly higher than in controls (53.3±17.2%, P <0.01). These results suggest that autoimmune liver diseases in children are associated with an expansion and activation of γδ + T cells in the peripheral blood, which may be important in the pathogenesis of these disorders.