title: Intraepithelial gamma/delta-positive T lymphocytes and intestinal villous atrophy.
abstract: We have evaluated the expression of different molecular forms of T cell antigen receptor (TcR) in duodenal biopsies of pediatric patients with different forms of villous atrophy: celiac disease, autoimmune enteropathy, intractable diarrhea of unknown origin, and severe cow milk intolerance. A panel of monoclonal antibodies recognizing alpha/beta and gamma/delta TcR (and gamma/delta TcR subsets) was used for immunostaining. The results showed an increase of T cells with gamma/delta-type TcR in celiac patients and also in patients with other forms of villous atrophy with respect to normal controls. Amongst the gamma/delta TcR-positive cells, the subset expressing the molecular product of V delta 1 region was the most represented. The gamma/delta TcR-positive T cells were mainly located within the epithelium: few of them were observed in the lamina propria. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that the increased homing of gamma/delta TcR-positive T lymphocytes in gut epithelium observed in celiac disease is, at least in part, related to villous atrophy per se.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Allergologia e Immunologia Clinica, Alessandria, Italia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fiorino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barabino
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Villaggio
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Canonica
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagnasco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta