title: Characterization of the autoreactive T cell repertoire in cyclosporin-induced syngeneic graft-versus-host disease. A highly conserved repertoire mediates autoaggression.
abstract: Syngeneic graft-vs-host disease (SGVHD) is a MHC class II-restricted T cell-mediated autoimmune syndrome that occurs following syngeneic bone marrow transplantation and the administration of cyclosporin (CsA). The present studies evaluated the V beta repertoire of T lymphocytes that mediate SGVHD. To facilitate analysis, SGVHD effector cells were adoptively transferred into thymectomized syngeneic recipients reconstituted with T cell-depleted bone marrow to provide an environment that allows for the selective clonal expansion of autoreactive T cells. Analysis of target tissues and PBL by reverse transcriptase PCR using oligonucleotide V beta-specific primers revealed a predominance of V beta 8.5+ T cells and a minor population expressing V beta 10. The majority of infiltrating lymphocytes in target tissues was confirmed to be V beta 8.5+ by in situ hybridization and by immunoperoxidase staining. A small population of V beta 10+ cells could also be detected. Furthermore, SGVHD effector T splenocytes depleted of lymphocytes expressing either the TCR-alpha beta or the V beta 8.5 determinant could not adoptively transfer SGVHD. Depletion of T cells expressing the V beta 10 determinant delayed the onset of this autoaggression syndrome. Subset analysis of the autoreactive T cell compartment revealed that the V beta 8.5 determinant was expressed on both CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes whereas the V beta 10 determinant was principally expressed on a minor population of CD4+ autoreactive T cells. These data were confirmed by limiting dilution analysis. Additional studies examining the effect of CsA on thymic differentiation revealed that although V beta 8.5 is not normally clonally deleted, there was a pronounced shift in the expression of this determinant between CD4 and CD8 single positive thymocytes, suggesting that CsA may inhibit normal positive selection processes for MHC class I and class II reactive T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Ruvolo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bright
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Beschorner
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016572:Cyclosporine