Oligoclonal expansion of CD8+ CD57+ T cells with restricted T-cell receptor beta chain variability after bone marrow transplantation.
A major expansion of CD8+57+ lymphocytes expressing an alpha-beta T-cell receptor (TCR) is frequent after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We examined the clonality of the TCR beta gene repertoire in these expanded CD8+57+ cells after allogeneic or autologous BMT. We performed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the V beta chain usage in CD8+57+ cells purified from nine BMT recipients with a series of oligonucleotides specific for 20 V beta gene families. PCR products from selected TCR beta gene rearrangements were sequenced. The CD8+57+ cells from eight of nine patients used a restricted set of V beta families, with a marked predominance of two to three V beta gene families per patient, whereas the control autologous CD57- subset expressed the whole 20 V beta families. A direct sequencing analysis confirmed the V beta 16 and V beta 17 clonality in six patients, showing a striking homology in the CDR3 sequences of the V beta 16 products. The CD8+57+ cells, but not the CD57- cells, displayed an oligoclonal pattern of TCR rearrangements as shown by PCR analysis of TCR gamma gene rearrangements. Such an oligoclonal expansion of CD8+57+ cells, using a restricted set of the V beta gene families, may result from a specific TCR stimulation of a limited number of T-cell clones in BMT recipients.
Gorochov
G
G
Laboratoire d'Hématologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
Debré
P
P
Leblond
V
V
Sadat-Sowti
B
B
Sigaux
F
F
Autran
B
B
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta