Oligoclonal T cell expansions in patients with Behçet's disease.
Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem disorder with oral and genital ulcers, mucocutaneous, ocular, joint, vascular and central nervous system involvement. In this study, the peripheral T cell repertoire was analysed in patients with BD with MoAbs against T cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta gene products in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments, and these were compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls (HC). In the CD4+ T cell compartment, oligoclonal TCR Vbeta expression was observed in 56% of BD (10/18), 71% of RA (5/7) patients and 21% (3/14) of HC. In the CD8+ T cell group 50% of BD (9/18), 57% of RA patients and 28% of HC (4/14) had an oligoclonal TCR repertoire. An increase of TCR Vbeta5.1 subset was observed in five BD patients among CD8+ T cells. Other elevations of TCR Vbeta subsets were heterogeneously distributed with one to three different Vbeta subsets. Our results suggest an antigen-driven oligoclonal increase of T cells in BD. There was no overall increase in any Vbeta group to suggest a superantigen effect. Analysis of the responsible antigens causing the increase in T cell subsets may give insights into the aetiopathogenesis of BD and immunomodulation of these T cells may lead to new treatments.
Division of Rheumatology, TUBITAK Behçet's Disease Research Unit, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey. haner@marun.edu.tr
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H
Direskeneli
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Eksioglu-Demiralp
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Kibaroglu
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Yavuz
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Ergun
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Akoglu
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta