Open AccessA bias in the αβ T cell receptor variable region gene usage in Takayasu's arteritis
Author(s) -
NITYANAND S.,
GISCOMBE R.,
SRIVASTAVA S.,
HJELMSTRO¨M P.,
SANJEEVI C. B.,
SINHA N.,
GRUNEWALD J.,
LEFVERT A. K.
Publication year - 1997
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.1365-2249.1997.295-ce1186.x
Subject(s) - cd8 , t cell receptor , t cell , pathogenesis , immunology , vasculitis , takayasu arteritis , flow cytometry , receptor , t lymphocyte , biology , medicine , immune system , pathology , disease
Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic large vessel vasculitis with a predilection for the aortic arch and its branches. T lymphocytes may be important in the pathogenesis, as they have been found to infiltrate the vascular lesions. To elucidate further the role of T cells in the disease, we studied circulating CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, expression of the activation marker (HLA‐DR), marker for naive (CD45RA) and primed (CD45RO) cells and the different variable α/β (AV/BV) gene segments on them. The TCR AV/BV repertoire was studied using a panel of 15 T cell receptor (TCR) V‐specific MoAbs by flow cytometry in 18 patients and 23 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Patients had a higher percentage of AV12S1 ( P < 0.05), BV6S7 ( P < 0.05) and BV9 ( P < 0.001)‐bearing CD4 + cells. Patients also had a higher frequency of expansions, i.e. of T cell populations with an abnormally high TCR AV/BV gene usage. In patients' CD4 + subset of cells, there were 22 expansions out of 231 analyses (9.5%), whereas in controls, four were expanded out of 310 analyses (1%) ( P < 0.001). For CD8 + cells, the frequency of expansions was 32 in 231 analyses (14%) in patients and nine out of 304 analyses in controls (3%) ( P < 0.01). In addition, there was a correlation between CD4 + expansions and disease activity; nine out of 10 patients with active disease in comparison with two out of eight patients with inactive disease ( P < 0.01) had an expansion. Some of the expanded populations in patients were phenotypically characterized and observed to be HLA‐DR < , CD28 < , CD45RA < and CD45RO + , with a greater proportion being CD45RO + . Patients had a higher percentage of expression of HLA‐DR on both CD4 + and CD8 + T cells ( P < 0.01). The percentages of naive and primed CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, γδ + T cells and natural killer cells were comparable to those in the control group.