title: Evidence for heterogeneity of T cell expansion in polymyositis and inclusion body myositis.
abstract: Vbeta usage of muscle-infiltrating T lymphocytes in polymyositis (PM) and sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) was correlated with clinical and histopathological features. Immunohistochemical analysis was combined with complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) length analysis in nine muscle biopsies of eight PM patients and six biopsies of five s-IBM patients. Vbeta usage was heterogeneous in seven patients. Four of these patients had definite PM with endomysial located T cell infiltrates, but T cells specifically surrounding and invading individual non-necrotic fibers were not found. In two s-IBM patients, Vbeta 2 usage was increased. In one of them, a repeat biopsy showed a heterogeneous Vbeta usage. We conclude that clonal expansion of muscle-infiltrating T cells could only be detected in part of the patients. Explanations may be that clonal expansion does not take place in all disease phases and that PM is a heterogeneous disease with respect to pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, G03.228, Division of Neuromuscular Disorders, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.F.G.vdMeulen@neuro.zau.nl
authors.forename: M F G
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: van Wichen
authors.forename: W T M
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: van Blokland
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: J H J
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wokke
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hoogendijk
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Weger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018979:Myositis, Inclusion Body / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell