Lack of restricted T‐cell receptor β‐chain variable region (Vβ) usage of reactive T‐lymphocytes in Hodgkin's disease

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Abstract
Summary. T‐cell response against tumour‐associated antigens is mediated by the TCR complex. To determine a possibly restricted TCR‐Vβ repertoire in reactive T‐lymphocytes in Hodgkin's disease (HD), 20 cases (of which 10 were EBV‐positive cases) were investigated using 14 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) recognizing 11 different TCR‐Vβ region family products and Northern blot analysis with cDNA probes specific for mRNA transcripts of 11 Vβ families that were not detectable by MoAbs. Four Vβ families (Vβ5, Vβ6, Vβ8, Vβ19) were investigated using both immunohistochemistry (IHC) with anti‐Vβ MoAbs and Northern blot analysis. Immunohistochemical and Northern blot findings were correlated with the detection of the Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) genome in Hodgkin's and Reed‐Sternberg cells (H‐RS).The non‐neoplastic lymphocytes in HD were predominantly of T‐phenotype (CD3+). Most of these cells were TCR‐αβ+ (βF1+) and only a few T‐cells were reactive for TCR‐δ1 antibody (TCR‐γδ+). In the majority of cases helper/inducer T‐cells (CD4+) outnumbered suppressor/cytotoxic T‐cells (CD8+). Labelling of these samples with the panel of 14 anti‐Vβ MoAbs showed that only a small percentage (0·2–5·5%) of βF1+ lymphocytes were positive with each of these MoAbs. The proportion of these cells was comparable to that seen in normal tissues. Most TCR Vβ+ cells were randomly distributed, but in virtually all cases occasional Vβ+ cells pertaining to the various Vβ families were seen in close contact to H‐RS cells.Using total RNA extracted from malignant and normal tissues, no visible band was detected with the various Vβ probes. As determined in the present study, the percentage of T‐cells expressing a given Vβ family must be 10% to be detected with Northern blot. Thus, the percentage of Vβ+ cells expressing Vβ families which were explored only with Northern blot were within the same range as those of the 11 different TCR‐Vβ region families assessed with IHC, i.e. 1–10% of lymphoid cells. The results of the present study show that in HD there is no restricted T‐cell Vβ repertoire usage regardless of the detection of EBV. In addition, since the various Vβ families are represented in T‐cell subpopulations forming rosettes around H‐RS cells, we conclude that the T‐cells attracted by H‐RS cells constitute a polyclonal population.

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