T cell subpopulations in the labial minor salivary gland histopathologic lesion of Sjögren's syndrome.
The majority of T cells constituting the focal lymphocytic infiltrates in the labial minor salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome bear the helper phenotype (CD4); activation is expressed by class II (HLA-DR) MHC products. In our immunohistologic study of snap frozen minor salivary gland biopsies from 16 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, it was shown that the majority (77%) of the infiltrating T cells exhibit the memory helper/inducer phenotype (UCHL-1) and express LFA-1 molecules. In addition most of the T cells express the alpha beta receptor while only 2.8% express the gamma delta receptor. Our findings suggest that these T cell infiltrates in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome may explain the intense B lymphocyte hyperreactivity observed in the exocrine glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
Skopouli
F N
FN
Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Fox
P C
PC
Galanopoulou
V
V
Atkinson
J C
JC
Jaffe
E S
ES
Moutsopoulos
H M
HM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1