title: Immunophenotypic analysis of the T cell receptor V beta repertoire in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes from normal peripheral blood.
abstract: The antigenic specificity of the majority of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood is determined by the combination of alpha and beta variable region chains present in the T cell receptor complex. Currently, the V beta chains are grouped into 25 families. Historically, determination of V beta usage has relied on detection of gene rearrangement on the nucleic acid level; however, with the increased availability of monoclonal antibodies to the product of these genomic rearrangements, immunophenotypic methods are rapidly becoming a reliable alternative method for studying the usage of V beta regions by T cells and T cell subsets. In the present study, multiparametric flow cytometry was used to determine the use of 10 V beta chains on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of 28 normal donors. By obtaining absolute lymphocyte counts at the time blood was drawn, the absolute number of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells using particular V beta regions could be determined. Additionally, the intradonor consistency of V beta usage was examined by obtaining blood from 5 of the volunteers at an interval of approximately 1 year. The results of this study suggest a fairly homogeneous pattern of use for these V beta regions. The most striking longitudinal differences were observed in one individual who underwent a tonsillectomy midway between the T cell receptor V beta determinations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden 08103, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Overton
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blumstein
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Donaldson
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta