T cells bearing the T cell receptor alpha/beta (TCR-alpha/beta) are the predominant lymphocyte population in the human intestinal epithelium. To examine if normal intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) have a TCR repertoire distinct from the TCR-alpha/beta repertoire in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), comparative analysis of relative V beta gene usage in IEL and PBL was performed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In each of the six individuals examined, one to three V beta families made up more than 40% of the total V beta transcripts detected in the IEL, whereas there was a more even distribution of V beta gene usage in the paired PBL. The predominant V beta families, especially V beta 1, V beta 2, V beta 3, and V beta 6, were frequently shared among IEL of different individuals. PCR cloning and sequence analysis of the predominant V beta 6 family in two individuals revealed an identical V-D-J-C sequence in 13 of 21 clones obtained from one donor, and a different repeated sequence in 18 of 27 clones examined in the second donor. These data suggest that the V beta skewing in IEL is due to an oligoclonal T cell expansion and may reflect the response of the intestinal mucosal immune system to a restricted set of as yet undefined antigens present in the gut.
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1 January 1992
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January 01 1992
Oligoclonality of human intestinal intraepithelial T cells.
C Van Kerckhove,
C Van Kerckhove
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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G J Russell,
G J Russell
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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K Deusch,
K Deusch
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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K Reich,
K Reich
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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A K Bhan,
A K Bhan
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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H DerSimonian,
H DerSimonian
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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M B Brenner
M B Brenner
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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C Van Kerckhove
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
G J Russell
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
K Deusch
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
K Reich
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
A K Bhan
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
H DerSimonian
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
M B Brenner
Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
J Exp Med (1992) 175 (1): 57–63.
Citation
C Van Kerckhove, G J Russell, K Deusch, K Reich, A K Bhan, H DerSimonian, M B Brenner; Oligoclonality of human intestinal intraepithelial T cells.. J Exp Med 1 January 1992; 175 (1): 57–63. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.175.1.57
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