6533b821fe1ef96bd127c460

RESEARCH PRODUCT

T cell receptor gene rearrangements of T lymphocytes infiltrating the liver in chronic active hepatitis B and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC): Oligoclonality of PBC-derived T cell clones

G KoberK H Meyer Zum BüschenfeldeS. MeuerMichael MannsUlrich MoebiusGeorg Hess

subject

AdultAntigens Differentiation T-LymphocyteCD8 AntigensT-LymphocytesT cellBiliary cirrhosisImmunologyBiologyGene Rearrangement T-LymphocyteAutoimmune DiseasesPrimary biliary cirrhosisAntigenmedicineHumansImmunology and AllergyCytotoxic T cellAgedHepatitis ChronicHepatitisLiver Cirrhosis BiliaryT-cell receptorT lymphocyteMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseClone CellsPhenotypemedicine.anatomical_structureLiverCD4 AntigensImmunologyFemale

description

Immunological events are involved in the pathophysiology of chronic active hepatitis as indicated from the accumulation of T lymphocytes at the site of tissue damage. We generated T cell clones from liver biopsies of 3 patients with chronic active hepatitis B and 2 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. These T cell clones (n = 84) were analyzed by means of T cell receptor (TcR) beta gene rearrangements to determine whether the infiltrate consists of a polyclonal or oligoclonal T cell population. The vast majority (62 of 64) of T cell clones from three different patients with chronic active hepatitis B showed no identical rearrangements of the TcR beta chain genes. In marked contrast, in both patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, T cell clones established were of limited diversity. Thus 5 out of 10 and 2 out of 10 T cell clones from one patient and 3 out of 9 and 2 out of 9 T cell clones from the second patient, respectively, showed identical TcR beta gene rearrangements. These data suggest that a clonal dominance is characteristic for local T cell responses in autoimmune liver disease such as primary biliary cirrhosis whereas in virus-induced chronic active hepatitis T cell activation occurs polyclonally.

https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.1830200426