Differential usage of T-cell receptor V beta gene families by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in patients with CD8hi common variable immunodeficiency: evidence of a post-thymic effect.

Abstract

In this study, we report that differences between T-cell receptor (TCR) V beta gene family usage in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are significantly greater in a subgroup of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) and high levels of activated CD8+ T cells (CD8hi CVI) than in controls (P < 0.001). In CD8hi CVI patients, such differences were also significantly greater for V beta 12 than for other V beta families. As the causes of the differential usage of V beta gene families by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are under investigation, it was interesting that the combined differences between V beta gene family usage in the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subpopulations as a whole were significantly lower than the combined differences between individual V beta gene family usage in either CD4+ or CD8+ T-cell subpopulations (P < 0.001 in both control and CD8hi CVI patients). Further, the pattern of V beta gene family usage in CD4+ T cells was remarkably similar to that in CD8+ T cells in both groups. These data strongly suggest that differences in V beta gene family usage arising from coselection by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I versus MHC class II restriction elements do not fundamentally distort 'basic' V beta gene family usage patterns. They also support the concept that differences in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell V beta gene family usage, which were increased in CD8hi CVI, can arise from high-affinity interactions between disease-associated antigens or superantigens and T cells in the post-thymic T-cell compartment.

• Authors: R Duchmann, J Jaffe, R Ehrhardt, D W Alling, W Strober
• Journal: Immunology (Immunology) Vol. 87 Issue 1 Pg. 99-107 (Jan 1996) ISSN: 0019-2805 [Print] England
• PMID: 8666443 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta

Topics

• Base Sequence
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Common Variable Immunodeficiency (genetics, immunology)
• Gene Expression Regulation (immunology)
• Humans
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta (genetics)
• Thymus Gland (immunology)