Accumulation of oligoclonal T cells in the infiltrating lymphocytes in oral lichen planus.
BACKGROUND
Identification of a disease-specific and possibly pathogenic T-cell receptor (TCR) in oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the most important steps to reveal the pathogenic antigen recognized by the T cells and thereby elucidate the pathogenesis and etiology of OLP.


METHODS
In buccal mucosa biopsy specimens and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from seven patients with OLP, the TCR V beta gene usage was examined by polymerase chain reaction-based and single-strand conformation polymorphism analyses.


RESULTS
The V beta families expressed in the biopsy specimens were markedly heterogeneous, but they were restricted in comparison to those observed in the PBMC. The V beta families predominantly expressed in the biopsy specimens in comparison with the PBMC were still heterogeneous in individual patients and differed from patient to patient; however, V beta 2, V beta 6, and V beta 19 were commonly predominant in the biopsy specimens from more than half of the patients. Among the V beta families predominantly expressed in the biopsy specimens, the accumulation of T-cell clonotypes was observed in the majority of the V beta families including V beta 6 and V beta 19; however, it was not observed in the minority of the V beta families including V beta 2.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that unique T-cell populations bearing V beta 2, V beta 6, or V beta 19 gene products tend to expand in OLP lesions as a consequence of in situ stimulation with a restricted epitope of either a nominal antigen on the MHC molecule for the majority of the V beta families, even if only in minor populations, or of a common superantigen for the minority of the V beta families.
Kawamura
E
E
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Nakamura
S
S
Sasaki
M
M
Ohyama
Y
Y
Kadena
T
T
Kumamaru
W
W
Shirasuna
K
K
D000368:Aged; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*