T cell receptor δ diversity of freshly isolated T lymphocytes in rheumatoid synovitis

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Abstract
In some patients with rheumatoid synovitis the distribution of Vδ gene families used by freshly isolated T lymphocytes from the synovial fluid and peripheral blood is different: peripheral blood T lymphocytes preferentially use the Vδ2 gene segment, whereas the majority of synovial fluid T lymphocytes use the Vδ1. The antigenic diversity of T cell receptor γ/δ is mainly dependent upon base sequences in the V-J junction. In the present study we investigated whether the synovial fluid T lymphocytes expressing the Vδ1 gene segment were derived from a polyclonal or monoclonal expansion. The sequences encoding the V-J junctions of 11 cDNA clones derived from the synovium of two patients with chronic arthritis were determined. Our data demonstrate that the Vδ1 cDNA clones have different V-J junction sequences. This indicates that the Vδ1-expressing T cells found in the synovial compartment are polyclonally expanded.