T-Cell Receptor α and β Chain Gene Expression in Cells Infiltrating Human Cardiac Allografts

• Published in: The American journal of the medical sciences 1995-01, Vol.309 (1), p.26-34
• Main Authors: Oaks, Martin K., Downs, Jessica A., Tector, Alfred J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Blotting, Southern; DNA Probes; Graft Rejection; Heart transplantation; Heart Transplantation - immunology; Heart Transplantation - pathology; Humans; Lymphocytes; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta - genetics; RNA - analysis; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; T-cell receptor; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - pathology
• ISSN: 0002-9629; 1538-2990
• DOI: 10.1097/00000441-199501000-00004

Intragraft T-cell receptor (TCR) α and β chain variable region gene expression was analyzed in human cardiac allograft biopsies by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Rearranged TCR α and β chain gene transcripts were detected in all biopsies examined (N=23), indicating the presence of T cells bearing the α/β TCR even in the absence of microscopically apparent leukocyte infiltration. In this analysis, a broad TCR α/β repertoire in actively rejecting lesions was demonstrated, whereas fewer TCR α and β chain gene families were detected in nonrejecting lesions. The number of expressed TCR Vβ chain gene families typically was two-to sixfold higher than that of Vα chain families in all biopsies tested. This asymmetric relation was present throughout the histologic grading spectrum of the biopsies. Based on these data, the TCR repertoire is heterogenous even in the early stages of mononuclear cell infiltration of the allograft. Also based on the data, the presence of T cells in grafts with minimal cellular infiltrates is not a specific marker of subsequent rejection episode, because T cells were identified in all allograft biopsies.