title: T cell receptor repertoire and function in patients with DiGeorge syndrome and velocardiofacial syndrome.
abstract: DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) and velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) are associated with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion. Limited information is available on the T cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta repertoire. We therefore investigated TCR Vbeta families in lymphocytes isolated from blood and thymic samples of seven patients with DGS and seven patients with VCFS, all with 22q11.2 deletion. We also studied activities related to TCR signalling including in vitro proliferation, anti-CD3-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and susceptibility to apoptosis. Reduced CD3+ T cells were observed in most patients. Spontaneous improvement of T cell numbers was detected in patients, 3 years after the first study. Analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ TCR Vbeta repertoire in peripheral and thymic cells showed a normal distribution of populations even if occasional deletions were observed. Lymphoproliferative responses to mitogens were comparable to controls as well as anti-CD3-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Increased anti-CD3-mediated apoptosis was observed in thymic cells. Our data support the idea that in patients surviving the correction of cardiac anomalies, the immune defect appears milder than originally thought, suggesting development of a normal repertoire of mature T cells.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pierdominici
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marziali
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovannetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Digilio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novelli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dallapiccola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aiuti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000276:immunology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D053683:Oncostatin M; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*; D013577:Syndrome; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D008934:Mitogens; D010455:Peptides; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D053683:Oncostatin M; D014443:Tyrosine