title: Extensive clonal expansion of T lymphocytes causes contracted diversity of complementarity-determining region 3 and skewed T cell receptor repertoires after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.
abstract: We previously described skewed repertoires of the T cell receptor-beta chain variable region (TCRBV) and the TCR-alpha chain variable region (TCRAV) soon after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. To determine the characteristics of skewed TCRBV after transplantation, we examined the clonality of T lymphocytes carrying skewed TCRBV subfamilies and determined the CDR3 sequences of expanded T cell clones. In all 11 recipients examined, TCR repertoires were skewed, with an increase of certain TCRBV subfamilies that differed among individuals. In nine of 11 patients, clonal/oligoclonal T cell expansion was observed, although the expanded T cells were not necessarily oligoclonal. The extent of expansion after transplantation appeared to predict clonality. The arginine (R)-X-X-glycine (G) sequence was identified in clonally expanded T cells from four of five recipients examined, and glutamic acid (E), aspartic acid (D) and alanine (A) were frequently inserted between R and G. These results suggest that T lymphocyte expansion may result from the response to antigens widely existing in humans, and that the extensive clonal expansion of a limited number of T cells leads to contracted CDR3 diversity and post-transplant skewed TCR repertoires.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsutani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitabayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuruta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D017931:DNA Primers; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell