title: A restricted clonal T-cell receptor αβ repertoire in Sézary syndrome is indicative of superantigenic stimulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sézary syndrome (SS) is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by erythroderma, lymphadenopathy and malignant clonal T cells in the skin, lymph nodes and peripheral blood. A role for superantigens in the pathogenesis of SS has been postulated before.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a putative involvement of chronic (super-)antigenic stimulation in driving T-cell expansion in SS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antigenic specificity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) was assayed by molecular analysis of the TCRA (n=11) and TCRB (n=28) genes, followed by detailed in silico analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sequence analysis of clonally rearranged TCRB genes showed over-representation of Vβ8, Vβ13, Vβ17, Vβ21 and Vβ22, and under-representation of Vβ2 and Jβ1.1 when compared with healthy controls. No similarity was detected in amino acid motifs of the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3). Analysis of TCRA rearrangements showed that there was no common Vα or Jα gene usage, and that TCRA CDR3 amino acid motifs were not highly similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of clear stereotypic TCRA and TCRB CDR3 amino acid motifs would argue against involvement of a single common antigen in the pathogenesis of SS. Nevertheless, the skewing of Vβ and Jβ gene usage does seem to point to a restricted TCR repertoire, possibly as a result of superantigenic selection prior to neoplastic transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, The Netherlands. L.vanderfits@lumc.nl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Fits
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Darzentas
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zoutman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tielemans
authors.forename: I L M
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Wolvers-Tettero
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vermeer
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Langerak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D018089:Superantigens