Specific bronchoalveolar lavage fluid T cells associate with disease in a pair of monozygotic twins discordant for sarcoidosis.
A 49-year-old Caucasian woman had an acute onset of sarcoidosis. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) showed a pronounced accumulation of BAL fluid CD4+ T cells expressing the T-cell receptor (TCR) AV2S 3 gene. In line with this observation, the patient was HLA-DR 17 positive, previously shown to strongly correlate with lung compartmentalized AV2S3+ T cells. At follow-up after recovery, reduced numbers of BAL fluid AV2S3+ T cells were found. Interestingly, BAL fluid of a healthy monozygotic twin sister contained normal numbers of AV2S3+ lung T cells. This report shows the T-cell repertoire of BAL fluid T cells to correlate with the disease (sarcoidosis). indicating a local and specific immune response triggered by an unknown antigen in sarcoidosis.
Grunewald
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Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. johan.grunewald@medks.ki.se
Eklund
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A
D000208:Acute Disease; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta