Heterogeneity of rearranged T-cell receptor V-alpha and V-beta transcripts in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Hodgkin's disease is histologically characterized by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells (RSC) and reactive cells, including numerous T lymphocytes. Some forms of B cell-non-Hodgkin's lymphoma also contain a rich T-cell population. Previous studies have suggested that the T-cell receptor repertoire of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TITL) that act specifically against tumor-related antigens, should be restricted. The authors in this study used the polymerase chain reaction to explore the possible existence of such an immunologic response of TITL against RSC or neoplastic B cells. They studied variable (v) region genes of T-cell receptor alpha and beta chains expressed by infiltrating lymphocytes in biopsy specimens from seven patients with Hodgkin's disease and three with B cell-non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These latter samples were selected based on a rich T-cell content. Primers specific for 18 different V-alpha and 21 V-beta families were used. In every case, TITL showed an unrestricted pattern of expression similar to the repertoire observed in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Although such experiments are limited, the apparent lack of selection of a single or a limited number of T-cell subsets in the affected tissues did not support the existence of an in vivo immunologic interaction between TITL and antigens related to RSC or neoplastic B cells.
Xerri
L
L
Laboratoire d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Biologie Moleculaire des tumeurs, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
Mathoulin
M P
MP
Birg
F
F
Bouabdallah
R
R
Stoppa
A M
AM
Hassoun
J
J
D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction