Increase in T cells bearing the gamma/delta receptor associated with lymphoproliferative disease of granular lymphocytes in an infant with intractable diarrhea.
A two-year-old infant with intractable diarrhea and lymphoproliferative disease of granular lymphocytes attributed to a persistent cytomegalovirus infection showed an increase in cells bearing the gamma/delta T-cell receptor (TCR), which accounted for approximately 20% of total peripheral blood lymphocytes and 40% of CD3+ T cells. Of the gamma/delta TCR+ cells, two-thirds were double negative (CD4-/CD8-) and the other one-third CD8 positive. The majority of gamma/delta+ cells were delta TCS 1 positive. The predominance of delta TCS 1 positive cells was also confirmed on biopsy of lymphoid tissues from the colon. After improvement of watery diarrhea and malnutrition following three-month hyperalimentation, the number of gamma/delta TCR+ cells decreased. The patient subsequently died of pneumonia at the age of 2 years and 11 months. A possible site-specific role for the gamma/delta TCR+ cells, particularly delta TCS 1+ cells, in the human intestine is discussed.
Imashuku
S
S
Children's Research Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Ohmizono
Y
Y
Itoi
T
T
Kataoka
Y
Y
Ikushima
S
S
Hibi
S
S
Matsumura
T
T
Yagi
K
K
Kawa-Ha
K
K
Ueno
Y
Y
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta