title: T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and function of human epidermal T cells: restricted TCR V alpha-V beta genes are utilized by T cells residing in the lesional epidermis in fixed drug eruption.
abstract: Human epidermis contains a phenotypically heterogeneous population of T cells. No information however, is available regarding the TCR repertoire of these T cells and their relevant physiologic and pathologic functions in vivo. To this end, T cells were prepared from the lesional epidermis in two patients with fixed drug eruption (FDE) and their phenotype, function and TCR repertoire were examined in parallel. Both epidermal T cells, termed FDE-1 and -2 cells, respectively, expressed alpha beta TCR, but displayed some phenotypic heterogeneity. These T cells were induced to display cytolytic activity by ligation of the CD3/TCR-alpha beta complex. Comparative analyses of TCR V alpha and V beta expression in the epidermal T cells and the paired peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated that the epidermal T cells, but not the paired PBL, utilized a very limited range of V alpha and V beta genes. These results indicate that some expansion or preferential migration of epidermal T cells that recognize a restricted set of antigens expressed within the epidermis could occur in situ following ingestion of the causative drug. The persistence of these epidermal T cells in FDE lesions suggests their pathologic role in a drug-induced flare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiohara
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta