title: Persistence of T-cell clones in psoriatic lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We previously demonstrated a clonal dominance in the V beta 13.1 messages isolated from the lesional CD8+ T cells of psoriasis vulgaris, which suggested an interaction of V beta 13.1+ CD8+ T cells with skin antigens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the clonality observed accurately reflected a clonal population of infiltrating T cells or was skewed by an overabundance of messages from a small number of cells, and to extend our study of V beta gene usage by lesional CD8+ T cells to 9 new patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were enrolled at the Psoriasis Research Institute in Palo Alto, Calif, and samples were analyzed at The Immune Response Corporation in Carlsbad, Calif.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the 2 previous patients, skin samples were sorted directly for V beta 13.1+ T cells, for which the T-cell receptors were sequenced. For the 9 new patients, CD8+ T cells were sorted and their T-cell receptor V beta gene usage measured using semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction with V beta-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The directly sorted V beta 13.1+ T cells exhibited clonal dominance in both patients. The dominant V beta 13.1 clone in each patient was the same as that found in the previous 2 biopsy specimens for which CD8+ T cells were sorted. Additionally, in 8 of the 9 new patients examined, we again found a preferential usage of V beta 3 and/or V beta 13.1 genes by the lesional CD8+ T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clonality, which was found in the V beta messages of the sorted CD8+ T cells, accurately reflects the dominance of these clones in the infiltrating T cells. Moreover, the persistence in the same patient of the same clone for as long as 15 months and the overrepresentation of V beta 3 and/or V beta 13.1 in lesional CD8+ T cells in the new patients examined support the pathogenic role of T cells bearing these V betas.
authors.affiliation: Immune Response Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Froning
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kurland
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schwabe
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Blumeyer
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Karasek
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Carlo
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Brostoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta