ISSN:
1398-9995
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background: The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of individuals with nickel contact allergy are reported to proliferate to a varying degree upon nickel stimulation in vitro. Different phenotypes of the T cells involved are described. With regard to preferential use of the T-cell receptor (TCR), analysis of the several families of the TCR-γ gene allows rearrangement evaluation of all T cells regardless of predominant surface expression of TCR α/β. Methods: The PBMC of 10 nickel-allergic and five nonallergic individuals were cultured for 4 days in the presence of either medium, PHA, NiSO4, or tetanus toxoid (TT). Proliferation was measured by radioactive thymidine uptake and expressed as stimulation index (SI). T-cell clonality was assessed by analysis of the TCR-γ chain gene, including the use of PCR with a primer combination covering the four main groups (Vγ1-8, Vγ9, Vγ10, and Vγ11) of the variable region of the TCR-β chain gene. Results: In the allergic individuals, proliferation to NiSO4 was significantly (P〈0.05) higher than in nonallergics (mean SI: 18.05/17.87 vs 0.67/2.27). In unstimulated and PHA-stimulated cultures, there was a random TCR spectrum in both groups. In contrast, in nickel-allergic individuals or individuals with recent TT-booster, oligoclonality could be observed in the correspondingly stimulated cultures. Conclusions: In addition to proliferation assay, analysis of T-cell clonality may be a further means to characterize clinical hypersensitivity reactions on the basis of antigen-dependent oligoclonal T-cell expansion, as in the case of tissue-infiltrating lymphocytes.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.056008767.x
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