title: [T-cell receptor V alpha gene repertoire and clonal expansion in benzene-exposed workers].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the distribution of TCR V alpha gene repertoire and clonal expansion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 9 donors and 16 workers exposed to benzene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of TCR V alpha subfamily genes were amplified using RT-PCR. The PCR products were further analyzed by genescan to evaluate clonality of T cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all of 29 V alpha subfamily could be detected in 9 donors. 1 approximately 11 V alpha subfamilies were identified in all but one of the workers studied. The most frequently expressed V alpha subfamily were V alpha 3, V alpha 12 and V alpha 19 (68.8%), V alpha 14 (56.3%), with a lower expression rate found in V alpha 5, V alpha 15, V alpha 16, V alpha 22, V alpha 23 and V alpha 24 (6.3%). Clonal expansion T cells in one or more V alpha subfamily were found in 12 out of all workers studied, including oligoclonal, oligoclonal trend and biclonal patterns. The frequency of clonal expansion T cells in V alpha 12, V alpha 14 and V alpha 19 subfamilies were higher than others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Skewed distribution and clonal expansion of TCR V alpha subfamily T cells could be found in workers exposed to benzene. V alpha 12, V alpha 14 and V alpha 19 subfamilies may be highly sensitive to benzene exposed. This is the first report of clonal expansion TCR V alpha T cells in the benzene-exposed group. The bias pattern of TCR V alpha T cells may be due to the immune cytotoxicity from benzene. However, whether the oligoclonality in some V alpha subfamilies reflect the phenomenon of clone absence or may be a response clone to benzene-related impairment during exposed to benzene, remains an open question.
authors: Institute of Hematology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Li
authors: Yang-qiu
authors: YQ
authors: Li
authors: Li-jian
authors: LJ
authors: Yang
authors: Shao-hua
authors: SH
authors: Chen
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Yu
authors: Wei-wei
authors: WW
authors: Liu
authors: Jia-yu
authors: JY
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001554:Benzene / Q000506:poisoning*; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D019673:Genes, T-Cell Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D001554:Benzene