Similar T-cell oligoclonality in antimitochondrial antibody-positive and -negative primary biliary cirrhosis.
Approximately 5% of patients with clinical and histological features suggestive of primary biliary cirrhosis do not have anti-mitochondrial antibodies that can be detected by current methodologies. Although the role of these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of liver disease is uncertain, T lymphocytes within the portal tracts are felt to be important mediators of bile duct destruction. In order to investigate the hypothesis that a similar T-cell process may be involved in both antimitochondrial antibody-positive and -negative primary biliary cirrhosis, we characterized the oligoclonally expanded T cells in both types of patients by analysis of complementarity determining region 3 length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The distribution of oligoclonally expanded T cells was similar in both groups. This finding does not support a distinct T-cell-mediated pathogenesis for anti-mitochondrial antibody-positive and -negative primary biliary cirrhosis but rather suggests that similar processes may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of both.
Mayo
M J
MJ
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 75390-9151, USA.
Lipsky
P E
PE
Miller
S N
SN
Stastny
P
P
Combes
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001706:Biopsy; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000276:immunology*; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands