Reconstitution of the T cell receptor alpha beta repertoire in recipients of allogeneic BMT
Rencher, S.D.; Hanif, I.; Heslop, H.E.; Turner, V.E.; Brenner, M.K.; Hurwitz, J.L.
Bone Marrow Transplantation 10(6): 521-527
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0268-3369 PMID: 1490202 Document Number: 388324
This report describes the qualitative analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire regeneration in recipients of BMT. RNA samples from patient and control peripheral blood lymphocytes were prepared and tested for the presence of multiple V-alpha and V-beta transcripts by the polymerase chain reaction. TCR V gene expression was highly diverse within the first 6 months post-tranplantation in recipients receiving either T cell-depleted or T cell-replete marrow, and in HLA mismatched as well as matched donor-recipient pairs. The sequencing of TCR message from BMT recipients also demonstrated J gene diversity and apparently normal junctional diversity at the V-J-alpha join. Thus, T cell pools in BMT recipients are largely heterogeneous, not mono- or oligoclonal.