title: T cell receptor repertoire in BALB/c mice varies according to tissue type, sex, age, and hydrocortisone treatment.
abstract: Diversity in T cell recognition of antigens is determined by diverse usage of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. TCR repertoire analysis provides fundamental information for understanding T cell immune responses in the pathogenesis of various diseases. In the present study, we examined the TCR repertoire in various tissues in normal BALB/c mice. The TCR alpha chain variable region repertoires were consistent among the spleen, lymph nodes, and the thymus. The TCR beta chain variable region (TCRBV) repertoires were consistent between the spleen and lymph nodes, but different in the thymus. The TCR repertoires also differed in the lungs and the intestinal tract. The TCR repertoires were consistent between male and female mice, except for TCRBV15-1. TCR repertoire was almost similar in 3- and 7-week-old mice, except for TCRBV1-1, 8-3, and 14-1. The present findings suggest that the TCR repertoire of mice varies according to tissue type, sex and age. Additional analysis of the TCR repertoire, i.e., the effect of hydrocortisone (HC), was carried out. After the HC treatment, although the thymic T cells decreased to one-tenth, only a small fraction of CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells survived the treatment. Furthermore, the percentages of thymic T cells bearing TCRBV3-1, 5-1, 5-2, and 16-1 substantially decreased, but the percentage of cells bearing TCRBV12-1 did not decrease. The present findings suggest that the HC susceptibility of immature thymic T cells is different between TCR families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, National Sagamihara Hospital, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitaura
authors.forename: Kiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanayama
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiobara
authors.forename: Konagi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurane
authors.forename: Satsuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tsunetoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D006854:Hydrocortisone