title: Expansion of clonotypic T-cell populations in the peripheral blood of asymptomatic Gran Chaco Amerindians infected with HTLV-IIB.
abstract: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asymptomatic HTLV-II-infected and uninfected Gran Chaco Amerindians were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for expansions of T-cell receptor (TCR) V-beta gene clonotypes. Analyses were performed using primer pairs designed to identify expanded T-cell familial clonotypes based on their unique TCR beta gene rearrangements. Of the 30 HTLV-IIB-positive samples tested, five showed evidence of V-beta clonotypic T-cell expansion. Of the five expansions, two were monoclonotypic and the remaining three were oligoclonotypic. In comparison, 30 HTLV-II-negative Amerindians showed no evidence of clonotypic T-cell expansion. Amplified DNA from one of the monoclonotypic samples was subsequently cloned and sequenced and was found to have uniform variable/ diversity/joining sequences confirming its unique monoclonal T-cell expansion. This method of detecting clonal TCR beta gene rearrangements has the advantage over traditional Southern blot techniques of being more sensitive and specific even with suboptimal specimens. The prognostic significance of clonotypic T-cell expansion in a group such as the HTLV-II-infected Gran Chaco Amerindians remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse, 13210, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Marchioli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dube
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bryz-Gornia
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Loughran
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Poiesz
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics*; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007199:Indians, South American; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D004247:DNA