Human gammadelta T cells express a higher TCR/CD3 complex density than alphabeta T cells.
The aim of our study was to compare CD3 expression on gammadelta T cells and alphabeta T cells in human patients. The antigen density of TCR and CD3 on both subsets was assessed by a quantitative method in eight patients. In parallel, we developed and validated a reliable direct tricolor staining protocol that we tested on samples from hospitalized and healthy individuals (n = 60). Our results demonstrate that human gammadelta T cells constitutively express approximately twofold more of the TCR/CD3 complex than alphabeta T cells. We suggest that this enhanced expression of the TCR/CD3 complex could contribute to the higher reactivity of gammadelta T cells compared to alphabeta T cells. These clinical laboratory results confirm the fundamental data described elsewhere. gammadelta T cells deserve further clinical investigations to understand their precise role in human immunity.
Immunology Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Lyon, France.
L
L
Nicolas
G
G
Monneret
A L
AL
Debard
A
A
Blesius
M C
MC
Gutowski
G
G
Salles
J
J
Bienvenu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*
D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta