Role of TCR V alpha 24 J alpha Q+ T cells in autoimmune diseases
Oishi, Y.; Iwamoto, I.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 55(6): 1425-1430
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 9200927 Document Number: 472487
We investigated the role of T cell receptor (TCR) V alpha 24+ T cells in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The invariant V alpha 24 J alpha Q was expanded and comprised 50-90% of the total V alpha 24 in healthy individuals. In contrast, patients with SSc and SLE showed the selective reduction of the invariant V alpha 24 J alpha Q with oligoclonal expansion of V alpha 24 TCR other than V alpha 24 J alpha Q. Because human V alpha 24 J alpha Q TCR is analogous to murine invariant V alpha 14 J alpha 281 TCR which is the major genotype of NK T cells, these results suggest that the selective reduction of T cells with invariant V alpha 24 J alpha Q TCR might play an important role of the generation of autoreactive T cells including T cells bearing other V alpha 24 TCR in autoimmune disease patients.