title: Monoclonal T cells identified in early NOD islet infiltrates.
abstract: To examine the hypothesis that a single initiating antigen was recognized by a monoclonal T cell population leading to subsequent inflammatory insulitis in non-obese (NOD) mouse islets, we examined the T cell receptor TCR V beta repertoire of islet-infiltrating T cells in very young (2-week-old) NOD mice. In independent experiments, we repeatedly identified one monoclonal TCR V-beta 8.2 gene product expressed by T lymphocytes infiltrating the islets of NOD mice at 2 weeks of age. The resultant inflammatory response quickly obscures the monoclonal nature of the initiating event. These data suggest that autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice may be initiated by recognition of a single autoantigen.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, California 94305-5111, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Charlton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dal Canto
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fathman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta