Preferential Expression of Vβ Gene Families in CD8 Memory Cells of Apparently Healthy Donors

• Published in: Cellular immunology 1995-12, Vol.166 (2), p.165-171
• Main Authors: Bonfert, V., Cihak, J., Lösch, U., Ziegler-Heitbrock, H.W.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS/HIV; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Cellular - genetics; Immunologic Memory - genetics; Leukocyte Common Antigens - genetics; Lymphocyte Activation - genetics; Male; Multigene Family; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta - genetics; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0008-8749; 1090-2163
• DOI: 10.1006/cimm.1995.9981

Antigen stimulation may lead to expansion or deletion of T-cells expressing T-cell receptors that belong to specific Vβ gene families. Since such stimulation at the same time will lead to conversion from naive to memory T-cells, we have asked whether a bias in Vβ families can be observed when comparing these two populations. We have studied the expression of Vβ3, 8, 13.3, 19, and 22 in peripheral blood T-cells for 12 apparently healthy male donors. For flow cytometry 100,000 CD4+or CD8+cells each were analysed in three-colour immunofluorescence for percentage of Vβ families among CD45R0−naive and CD45R0+memory cells. Greater than twofold excess was found in the CD8+CD45R0+cells in four cases (1× Vβ13.3, 2× Vβ19, 1× Vβ22) and a greater than twofold decrease in CD8+CD45R0+cells in two cases (1× Vβ8, 1× Vβ22). In contrast, among CD4+cells no such bias was detected. The excess in CD8+CD45R0+memory cells showed no substantial fluctuation over time in that it was found to be stable for 19 to 70 days. Finally,in vitroconversion of purified CD8+CD45R0−cells to CD45R0+cells by polyclonal stimulation with PHA did not result in the excess of Vβ usage observedin vivo.These data suggest that specific antigen stimulation during past infection or allergy may be responsible for the excess of certain Vβ gene families. Clinical studies looking for disease associations will have to test CD4 and CD8 naive and memory subsets in order to precisely identify a bias in Vβ usage and these studies will have to consider the pronounced changes observed in healthy controls.