OBJECTIVE: To compare the TCR beta repertoire of peripheral blood @entity405 enriched ( @entity405 +) and depleted ( @entity405 -) T cells in @entity309 ( @entity309 ) @entity1 and controls using @entity2612 length analysis (spectratyping). METHODS: @entity405 + and @entity405 - T cells were separated from 14 @entity309 @entity1 and 12 controls, using magnetic beads coated with anti- @entity405 monoclonal antibodies. cDNA was prepared as the template for amplification with 22 V beta-C beta primer pairs. The products were resolved by electrophoresis in an ABI373 sequencer using GENESCAN software. Expansions were identified as dominant @entity2612 lengths, where the area underlying the corresponding peak exceeded the sum of the areas of the two adjacent peaks. This method was validated by sequencing 10 samples displaying dominant peaks. The expansion frequencies in @entity309 @entity1 and controls were compared using the chi 2 test statistic. RESULTS: Dominant peaks were evident in several V beta families. They were more frequent in @entity309 @entity1 in both the @entity405 + subset ( @entity309 normalised frequency 10.6; control normalised frequency 8.0; p = 0.03) and the @entity405 - subset ( @entity309 normalised frequency 2.9; control normalised frequency 1.5; p = 0.02). Sequencing of 10 samples exhibiting dominant peaks revealed an unequivocal clonal expansion in nine (90%). CONCLUSIONS: @entity309 @entity1 exhibited a significantly increased frequency of T cell expansions both in the @entity405 + and @entity405 - subsets. This phenomenon may reflect the proliferation of autoreactive cells, a nonspecific expansion of memory T cells in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines or a defect of T cell regulation that predates the onset of @entity309 and may itself predipose to disease.

TCR beta spectratyping in XXXX : evidence of clonal expansions in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity405 :: ('925', 'Gene') :: ['CD8'] @entity309 :: ('MESH:D001172', 'Disease') :: ['rheumatoid arthritis', 'RA'] @entity2612 :: ('8163', 'Gene') :: ['CDR3']
@entity309 :: (MESH:D001172,Disease) :: ['RA']
