T-cell repertoire analysis in chronic plaque psoriasis suggests an antigen-specific immune response.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disease of unknown etiology. Activation of T cells is thought to play a major role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. In order to gain insight into the nature of the antigen (superantigen or nominal protein antigen) involved in psoriatic lesions, we have used a RT-PCR method to analyze the frequency of the 24 T cell receptor V beta chain (TCRBV) subfamilies and the size of the antigen-binding region (CDR3), using the immunoscope assay, in skin lesions of patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that no significant difference in V beta subfamily usage could be detected in T lymphocytes infiltrating lesional skin as compared to blood lymphocytes. Alternatively, determination of the size distribution of the CDR3 of all the V beta subfamilies revealed only in psoriatic skin a marked TCR oligoclonality defined by the presence in 3 to 5 V beta subfamilies of a single predominant CDR3 size which was associated with a unique V beta-J beta combination. Identical patterns of CDR3 length and V beta-J beta combination profiles were found in symetrical lesional sites from two psoriatic patients. This type of skewed CDR3 size profile is reminiscent of a local stimulation of T lymphocytes by nominal protein antigens. These data suggest that T lymphocytes infiltrating plaque-type psoriatic skin comprise expansions of oligoclonal T cells in response to stimulation by an antigen present in the skin.
Bour
H
H
INSERM U.503, Faculté Laennec, Université Cl Bernard, Lyon, France.
Puisieux
I
I
Even
J
J
Kourilsky
P
P
Favrot
M
M
Musette
P
P
Nicolas
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta