title: Biased liver T cell receptor V beta repertoire in a murine graft-versus-host disease model.
abstract: Murine graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) results in destruction of small bile ducts in the liver. We analyzed the TCR V beta repertoire of lymphocytes isolated from the livers and spleens of individual B10.D2 into irradiated BALB/c GVHD mice by means of two-color immunofluorescence. Each mouse showed an increase in at least one V beta population in the liver and spleen, but the expanded V beta populations were heterogeneous and variable among individual GVHD mice. Overall, the repertoire of liver CD4 cells was biased toward V beta 2 and 3 expression with 65 and 88% of mice, respectively, showing an increase in these subsets. The splenic CD4 cell repertoire was biased toward V beta 3 and 4 expression (50% of mice each). The repertoire of CD8 cells was less biased with 20 to 35% of mice showing expansions of V beta 3+, 4+, 5+, 6+, 8.1+, 8.2+, and 8.3+ T cells in both the liver and spleen. V beta 2+ CD4 cells were increased preferentially in the liver compared with the spleen. These results indicate that the infiltrating liver and splenic T cells are polyclonal and suggest that donor T cells recognize multiple host non-MHC Ags in this GVHD model. Alloantigens recognized by V beta 2+ CD4 cells appear to be selective for the liver. Expansion of V beta 3+ CD4 cells may reflect recognition of the host Mls-3 superantigen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262, USA.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kotzin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta