title: Limitation of Simultaneous Analysis of T-Cell Receptor and κ-Deleting Recombination Excision Circles Based on Multiplex Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction in Common Variable Immunodeficiency Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used a triplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to classify our common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients into distinct groups according to the amount of their T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) and κ-deleting recombination excision circles (KRECs).
  
  
  METHODS
  TREC and KREC analysis was performed using a multiplex real-time PCR assay. The T- and B-lymphocyte subsets were measured by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The copy number of TRECs and KRECs was significantly reduced in CVID patients compared to healthy controls. The TREC copy number was inversely correlated with age in both healthy subjects and patients; however, the KREC copy number was inversely correlated with age only in CVID patients. Moreover, no association was seen between TREC/KREC copy number and clinical manifestations such as bronchiectasis, splenomegaly, granulomata, autoimmune cytopenias, organ-specific autoimmunity, enteropathy and lymphoid hyperplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TREC and KREC quantification might be a useful tool to differentiate between CVID and combined immunodeficiency, but considering the results of this study a classification of CVID patients in certain groups is hardly possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Faranaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atschekzei
authors.forename: Fareed
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Reinhold E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell