title: Clonal expansion of T cells that are specific for autologous ovarian tumor among tumor-infiltrating T cells in humans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether oligoclonally expanding tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were tumor-specific.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from an ovarian tumor-bearing patient were stimulated in vitro with an autologous cancer cell line (SMOV-2). Then genes coding for the third complementarity-determining region of the T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain were amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and separated by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Accumulated TCR clonotypes in vitro and in vivo in TIL were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clonal expansion of T cells was generated from PBL by stimulation with SMOV-2. A portion of the proliferated clonotypes was found to be identical to those accumulated in TIL in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first demonstration that accumulating T cell clones in TIL recognize antigen(s) on an autologous tumor. Further characterization of such T cell clonotypes may lead to tumor antigen-specific immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Marianna University, Yokohama City Seibu Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonamine
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuko-Hongo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured