title: T cell receptor V beta expression by mucosal T cells.
abstract: Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies to the T cell receptor V beta regions 5, 6, 8 and 12 was used to determine whether normal intestinal lymphocytes that are potentially exposed to many bacterially derived superantigens show any preferential expression of particular V beta regions compared with the blood. No difference between V beta expression in the mucosa and the blood was observed, suggesting that they share a common pool of alpha beta T cells and that there is no expansion of alpha beta T cells in response to bacterial "superantigens" in the gut. The T cell receptor V beta expressed by the activated T cells in the lamina propria of bowel from patients with Crohn's disease was also studied. There was no increase in V beta 8 expression in these cells, suggesting that the increase in V beta 8 observed in the blood and mesenteric nodes of patients with Crohn's disease is not of primary importance in the aetiology of the disease. Finally, V beta expression by mucosal T cells in coeliac disease was studied. There was no difference in V beta use by T cells in coeliac disease and those in the blood and normal jejunum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, University College, London.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta