title: Predominant usage of distinct T-cell receptor V beta regions by epidermotropic T cells in psoriasis.
abstract: To investigate the role of T cells in psoriasis, we analyzed the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and in skin lesions of 9 patients with chronic plaque-stage psoriasis by means of immunohistochemistry. An extended panel of monoclonal antibodies detecting 11 different V beta families was employed in this study. In the peripheral blood, no predominant TCR V beta expression was detected and interindividual differences were small. Skin-infiltrating T cells showed only marginal differences in the TCR V beta usage when compared with PBLs. However, in 3 patients the intraepidermal infiltrate comprised up to 40% of T cells expressing a TCR V beta region which was virtually absent in the peripheral blood and the dermal infiltrate. Thus, although the TCR V beta usage of skin-infiltrating T cells showed little difference compared to PBLs, several cases exhibited a significant increase of epidermotrophic T cells using one particular V beta region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Boehncke
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Küenzlen
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Zollner
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mielke
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sterry
mesh_terms: D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta