Intraepithelial T Cells of the TcRγ/δ+CD8− and Vδ1/Jδ1+ Phenotypes are Increased in Coeliac Disease

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Abstract
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+ 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.