title: Altered VH6-D-JH repertoire in human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and autoimmune idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: We have characterized the peripheral B cell repertoire in T cell-mediated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDMM) and in B cell-mediated autoimmune idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP). The VH6-containing repertoire in adult patients with IDDM or AITP and healthy control subjects was investigated by PCR amplification using VH6- and JH-specific primers. Nucleotide sequence analysis of VH6-D-JH rearrangements showed an abnormally high frequency of somatic mutations in non-functional rearrangements from diabetic (3. 58 %) as well as AITP patients (3.18 %), compared to controls (0.4 % and 1.43 %, respectively; p < 0.05). In contrast, the mutation frequency among functional rearrangements was 2.4 - 3 times lower in patients compared to controls ( p < 0.05). Detailed analysis of the VH6 genes carrying mutations showed that the underlying mechanism for this observation is probably different for the two diseases. Analysis of D- and JH gene usage revealed additional deviations from the normal pattern. Taken together, these results suggest defects in the mechanisms controlling selection of the B cell repertoire in patients with IDDM or AITP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology University of Umeâ, Umeâ, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Dijk-Härd
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feld
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hillörn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lundkvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell