title: Modulation of the T cell receptor beta chain repertoire after heart transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In a previous study it was shown that pre-transplant blood transfusion was associated with a better clinical outcome after heart transplantation (HTx). In this study the effect of heart transplantation (HTx) on the T cell receptor V beta chain (TCRVbeta) repertoire was investigated. Therefore, we analyzed the TCRVbeta repertoire of patients after HTx to see whether a correlation with clinical outcome could be observed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were analyzed at four different time points: pre-HTx, less than 1 month post-Htx, between 1 month and 2.5 month post-Htx and more than 2.5 months post-HTx. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were purified from patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). TCR beta chain usage was analyzed semiquantitatively by Southern blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HTx affected the TCRVbeta repertoire in both the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments in all patients. Changes in the TCRVbeta repertoire were most pronounced within the CD8+ T cell subset. Interestingly, one patient showed modulation in TCRVbeta chain usage predominantly in the CD4+ T cell compartment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Modulation of TCRVbeta chain usage was detected in all patients analyzed. No clear-cut relation was observed between TCRVbeta modulation after transplantation and clinical outcome. In some cases modulations appeared to concur with observed immunological events (clinically and/or in-vitro).
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunobiology CLB, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doumaid
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: van Miert
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Vaessen
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Remmerswaal
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weimar
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Boog
mesh_terms: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta