title: Expression of T cell receptor V(alpha) gene families in intrathyroidal T cells of Chinese patients with Graves' disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with Graves' disease (GD) have marked lymphocytic infiltration in their thyroid glands. We examined the gene for the variable regions of the alpha-chain of the Chinese T-cell receptor (V(alpha) gene) in intrathyroidal T cells to determine the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of GD and offer potential for the development of immunotherapeutic remedies for GD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to amplify complementary DNA(cDNA) for the 18 known families of the V(alpha) gene in intrathyroidal T cells from 5 patients with Graves' disease. The findings were compared with the results of peripheral blood T cells in the same patients as well as those in normal subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that marked restriction in the expression of T cell receptor V(alpha) genes by T cells from the thyroid tissue of Chinese patients with GD(P < 0.001). An average of only 4.6 +/- 1.52 of the 18 V(alpha) genes were expressed in such samples, as compared with 10.4 +/- 2.30V(alpha) genes expressed in peripheral blood T cells from the same patients. The pattern of expressed V(alpha) genes differed from patient to patient with no clear predominance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of intrathyroidal T cell receptor V(alpha) genes in GD is highly restricted suggesting the primacy of T cells in causing the disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shen Yang 110001.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta