Prominent expansion of circulating lymphocytes bearing gamma T-cell
receptors, with preferential expression of variable gamma genes after
allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
E Vilmer, F Triebel, V David, C Rabian, M Schumpp, G Leca, L Degos, T Hercend, F Sigaux and A Bensussan
Departement d'hematologie, Hopital St Louis, Paris, France.
The presence of two distinct T-cell receptors (TCR) alpha/beta dimers or
gamma/delta dimers, was systematically analyzed in peripheral blood
lymphocytes form 26 recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants for
leukemia. When using monoclonal antibody WT31, which recognizes a common
epitope on the alpha/beta heterodimer, the expansion of peripheral CD3+,
WT31- cells to 40% of the PBLSs was detected in two patients. In patient 2,
the presence of circulating TCR gamma-bearing cells was directly
demonstrated with monoclonal antibody Ti gamma A directed against the V
gamma 9 J gamma p gene products. From CD3, WT31- clones derived from
patients 1 and 2, sequential immunoprecipitations were performed with
anti-CD3 and anti-C gamma to determine the CD3- associated structure.
Molecular weights of gamma subunits were different in both patients, thus
indicating structural heterogeneity. The ability of TCR gamma clones to
proliferate when stimulated with anti-CD3 beads was observed for clones
from patient 2, whereas this response required exogenous interleukin-2 for
clones from patient 1. We have already shown that the TCR gamma cells from
patient 1 might have played a role in the immunodeficient state. Similar
conclusions cannot be drawn from patient 2. Southern blot analysis of total
PBL gamma cell lines and clones indicated that this major circulating
subset of TCR gamma cells retained a TCR beta gene in germline
configuration and preferentially expressed a single V gamma gene, V gamma 5
for patient 1 and V gamma 9 for patient 2.
Volume 72,
Issue 3,
pp. 841-849,
09/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
