Clonal expansion T cells identified in acute monoblastic leukemia by CDR3 size analysis of TCR V beta repertoire using RT-PCR and genescan.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution and clonality of T cell receptor (TCR) V beta repertoire in patients with acute monoblastic leukemia (AML-M5).


METHODS
Expression of the TCR V beta repertoire was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which amplified the complementarity determining region 3 of 24 TCR V beta genes in peripheral blood from 9 cases with acute myclogenous leukemia subtype 5 or acute monoblastic leukemia (AML-M5). PCR products were further studied by genescan analysis to identify T cell clonality.


RESULTS
Expression of 1-10 V beta subfamilies was found in samples from 9 patients. Genescan analysis showed that some V beta subfamily products from 8 of 9 cases contained an oligoclonal peak. Oligoclonal T cells of the V beta 2 subfamily could be found in 6 patients with AML-M5.


CONCLUSIONS
T cell clonality expansion was found in AML-M5 cases and were tendentious in the V beta 2 subfamily, suggesting a the specific immune response for leukemia cell (M5) associated antigen and may display antileukemia activity.
Li
Yangqiu
Y
Institute of Hematology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Yang
Lijian
L
Chen
Shaohua
S
Li
Rongfu
R
Zhang
Yuping
Y
Lu
Yuhong
Y
Luo
Gengxin
G
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta; D006801:Humans; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions