Reconstitution of gammadelta T cell repertoire diversity after human allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and the role of peripheral expansion of mature T cell population in the graft.
We have examined the reconstitution of gammadelta T cell repertoire diversity after human allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based complementarity-determining region (CDR) 3 size spectratyping and DNA sequencing. The CDR3 complexity in the variable region of the T cell receptor (TCR)-delta chain was different amongst the individuals studied. Furthermore, CDR3 size distribution patterns of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients were almost completely recovered by a few months after transplantation. In some patients, clonal predominance of the TCRDV1+ T cells became evident during the period after transplantation. In one particular donor/recipient pair, clonal predominance of TCRDV1+ T cells was already present in blood lymphocytes of the donor, and was also observed in the recipient after transplantation. Using this donor/recipient pair, we have questioned whether gammadelta T cell regeneration occurs via the peripheral expansion of mature T cells in the graft. In the donor lymphocytes, two expanding gammadelta T cell clones, which were demonstrated by CDR3 sequences of the TCR-delta chain, were recognized. These two clones were identified in the T cells from the recipient post transplant, but not before transplantation. One of the two clones was still detectable 1(1/2) years after the transplant procedure. These results strongly suggest that peripheral expansion of mature T cells in the graft is the principal pathway of gammadelta T cell regeneration after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in adults.
Department of Internal Medicine III, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
M
M
Hirokawa
T
T
Horiuchi
Y
Y
Kawabata
A
A
Kitabayashi
A B
AB
Miura
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division; D002999:Clone Cells; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006085:Graft Survival; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta