T cell receptor delta repertoire in inflamed and noninflamed colon of patients with IBD analyzed by CDR3 spectratyping.
Gamma/delta T cells might play an important role in autoimmune conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the present study, we characterized the T cell receptor (TCR)-delta repertoire by complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) spectratyping in the inflamed and noninflamed mucosa and in the peripheral blood of subjects with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In contrast to previously published data about alpha/beta T cells, we rarely found oligoclonal expansions of gamma/delta T cells specific only for the inflamed mucosa. The same dominant gamma/delta T cell expansions were also present in the noninflamed colon. Furthermore, the peripheral gamma/delta TCR repertoire was oligoclonal but clearly distinct from that in the inflamed intestine. Thus our results do not support a role for antigen-specific gamma/delta T cells in IBD, and dominant gamma/delta T cells of the peripheral blood are not likely to be derived from the inflamed gut. However, in several patients, the TCR-delta-repertoire was highly diversified, whereas in others we observed a loss of dominant gamma/delta T cell clones when inflamed and noninflamed mucosa were compared. In conclusion, those changes indicate that gamma/delta T cells might play an important role in a subset of patients with IBD.
Holtmeier
Wolfgang
W
Medizinische Klinik II, Division of Gastroenterology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. W.Holtmeier@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Hennemann
Andreas
A
May
Ekkehard
E
Duchmann
Rainer
R
Caspary
Wolfgang F
WF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003106:Colon / Q000276:immunology; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta