Analysis of the T cell receptor V delta region gene repertoire in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood of asthmatics.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the role of gamma delta T cells in the airway of asthmatics and to identify the forces which induce and maintain the inflammatory process.


METHODS
Peripheral blood (PB) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obtained from 7 asthmatic subjects and 7 nonsmoker control subjects. The percentage of gamma delta T cells in the PB and BALF was measured by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry. The frequency of usage and the clonality of V delta subfamilies (V delta 1-V delta 3) were assessed by RT-PCR and gene scanning.


RESULTS
A higher proportion of gamma delta T cell was detected in the BALF of asthmatic subjects (7.8% +/- 4.7%) than that from control subjects (3.3% +/- 3.0%, P = 0.04). No selective usage for a particular V delta subfamily was found, but the relative expression level of V delta 1 was significantly higher in the asthmatic airway (44% +/- 13%) than in the control (19% +/- 5%, P = 0.0002). In asthmatic subjects, the monoclonal or oligoclonal expansion of gamma delta T lymphocytes was predominant in the BALF, especially V delta 1+ T lymphocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
Antigenic specific gamma delta T cells might play an important role in the inducement and maintenance of airway inflammation. Persistent antigenic stimulation may be the key factor that maintains chronic airway inflammation in asthma.
Bai
Y
Y
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.
Lin
Y
Y
He
W
W
Chen
Y
Y
Ma
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D012313:RNA