title: T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in alloimmune responses.
abstract: A large number of alloantigenic determinants could be generated by both the direct and indirect alloantigen presentation pathways. Hence, a heterogeneous population of T cells expressing a wide variety of receptors would be expected to respond to this diverse array of alloantigenic determinants. However, T cells expressing highly restricted T cell receptor (TCR) variable genes have been reported in a variety of alloimmune responses. A similar phenomenon has been observed in a wide variety of other immune responses, from those induced by superantigens, to very specific responses induced by a single peptide presented by a single MHC molecule. Given this scenario, the limited number of T cell clones which dominate an allograft rejection response, or for that matter an autoimmune response or a tumor specific response, could be therapeutically targeted by virtue of the selected TCR expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15206, USA.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Finn
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Debruyne
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D007519:Isoantigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D018089:Superantigens