Oligoclonal CD8+ T cells are preferentially expanded in the CD57+ subset.
A number of recent reports have established that oligoclonality and/or clonal expansion is a common feature of the CD8+ T cell population. Oligoclonal expansion has also been observed in bone marrow transplant recipients and rheumatoid arthritis patients, disease states in which CD57+CD8+ T cells are occasionally elevated. In this study we have compared the TCR repertoire of the CD57+ and CD57- subsets of CD8+ T cells in normal persons by using three-color FACS analysis with a panel of 16 mAbs specific for TCR V segments. The CD57 surface marker was highly variable in frequency but generally present on a minority of CD8+CD3+ T cells (mean 16.3%, SD 12.7) in a group of 41 normal volunteers. Dramatic oligoclonal expansion was present in the CD57+CD8+ T cell population in 15 of 41 (37%) of our study population and thus is a characteristic feature of the normal immune system. No such prominent oligoclonal expansions were observed in the CD57-CD8+ subset, although preliminary experiments suggest that oligoclonality per se is occasionally present at a lower frequency in CD57- cells. The reasons for this persistent accumulation of oligoclonal CD8+CD57+ T cells and their function in immune homeostasis are unclear.
Morley
J K
JK
Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
Batliwalla
F M
FM
Hingorani
R
R
Gregersen
P K
PK
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta