ISSN:
1365-3083
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Expression of the γ/δ T-Cell receptor (TcR) for antigen on CD3+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was studied in situ by two-colour immunofluorescence on jejunal tissue secretions from 24 patients with coeliac disease and 17 controls. The proportion of intraepithelial TcRγ/δ+ cells was significantly increased (P〈0.002) in untreated (median 20%, range 11–53%) as well in treated (gluten-free diet) coeliac disease (median 23%, range 16–55%) compared with controls (median 2%, range 0–39%). Although TcRγ/β+ IEL dominated both in controls and coeliac disease. T cells expressing the TcRα/δ were preferentially located within the epithelium rather than in the lamina propria. Paired staining for TcRγ/δ and CD8 revealed that most (∼90%) intraepithelial TcRγ/δ+ lymphocytes in coeliac disease were CD8−. A remarkably large fraction (median 67%, range 58–94%) of intraepithelial TcRγ/δ+ cells expressed the Vδ1/Jδ1-encoded epitope revealed by monoclonal antibody δTCS1. Our results suggested that increase of the intraepithelial TcRγ/δ+ CD8− subset of T cells is particularly related to coeliac disease.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3083.1989.tb02474.x
