title: T-cell receptor V beta gene expression in infiltrating cells in murine hearts with acute myocarditis caused by coxsackievirus B3.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In viral myocarditis, we previously reported that natural killer cells infiltrate the heart first, then activated T cells infiltrate second and play an important role in the pathogenesis of the myocardial damage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To elucidate the nature of T-cell infiltration, using a murine model of acute myocarditis caused by coxsackievirus B3, we analyzed the expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) V beta genes in infiltrating cells in the heart by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR-amplified products were confirmed by Southern blot hybridization with a C beta cDNA probe. In contrast to spleen lymphocytes, the repertoire of V beta gene transcripts in the heart was restricted. The infiltrating cells expressing V beta 10 were found in six of eight hearts of mice with acute myocarditis. The infiltrating cells expressing V beta 8 and V beta 13 were found in four of eight hearts with myocarditis, respectively. Immunoperoxidase staining of serial sections of the heart of myocarditis for TCR alpha beta chains and TCR V beta 10 confirmed that the dominant population of infiltrating T cells expressed V beta 10 gene products.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The restricted usage of TCR genes by infiltrating T-cells may indicate that a specific antigen in heart with myocarditis is targeted. Our findings raise the possibility of immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies specific for TCR V beta elements to prevent T-cell-mediated myocardial damage in viral myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seko
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazaki
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta