High expression of V gamma 8 is a shared feature of human gamma delta T cells in the epithelium of the gut and in the inflamed synovial tissue.
We have analyzed the V-gene usage in gamma delta T cells of the human gut and joint by using a new mAb (B18) specific for V gamma 8 of human TCR-gamma delta+ T cells. The B18+ population constituted a minor subset of the gamma delta T cells in peripheral blood (PB) of healthy persons (6 +/- 5%) and only 1 of 35 gamma delta T cell clones analyzed was positive. In contrast, the B18+ subset was a dominant gamma delta T cell population among intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) derived from the human intestine (74 +/- 29, p < 0.002), and two of three IEL clones from patients with coeliac disease were B18+. Interestingly, a higher proportion of B18+ gamma delta T cells was found in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (21 +/- 18%, 0.02 < p < 0.05) compared with normal PB. Furthermore, the B18+ subset was more frequent among IL-2-expanded gamma delta T cells (42 +/- 20%) derived from synovial tissue than among IL-2-expanded cells derived from synovial fluid (p < 0.002) and PB from RA patients (p < 0.02) as well as normal PB (p < 0.002). The V-gene usage of 13 gamma delta T cell clones from the synovial fluid of arthritic patients was analyzed. All B18+ clones (n = 7) expressed mRNA for V gamma 8 together with mRNA for V delta 1 (n = 5) or mRNA for V delta 3 (n = 2). None of the B18- clones expressed V gamma 8 (n = 6). We conclude that the gamma delta T cell that expresses V gamma 8, together with mainly V delta 1, is a major gamma delta T cell subset among the IEL of the gut and a highly frequent subset in the synovial tissue of patients with RA. This subset may correspond to the mouse V gamma 7+ IEL, which has a high degree of amino acid sequence homology with the human V gamma 8 protein.
Söderström
K
K
Microbiology and Tumorbiology Center (MTC), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bucht
A
A
Halapi
E
E
Lundqvist
C
C
Grönberg
A
A
Nilsson
E
E
Orsini
D L
DL
van de Wal
Y
Y
Koning
F
F
Hammarström
M L
ML
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta