Characterization of Distribution of T Lymphocyte Subsets and Activated T Lymphocytes Infiltrating into Sarcoid Lesions.

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Abstract
We studied the relationship between various T lymphocyte functions and granuloma formation in 5 lung tissue and 4 lymph node tissue samples from patients with sarcoidosis by immunohistological methods. In the lesion of sarcoidosis, T cells were positive for αβTCR, but γβTCR-positive T cells were rarely observed. The results of analysis of functional subsets showed that T cells in the internal area of granuloma were predominantly helper/inducer subset (CD4+ CD45RA-). On the other hand, cytotoxic T cells (CD8+CD45RA-CD11b-) were present in abundance in the outer boundaries of granuloma. In addition, suppressor-inducer T cells (CD4+CD45R A+) were present in the surrounding areas. However, T cells of various subsets were present sporadically outside the granulomas. We also studied the distribution of T cells expressing activation-related antigens. The results showed that T lymphocytes in the internal area of granulomas more frequently had these antigens than did T lymphocytes in the external area. These findings suggested that T cells infiltrating into the sarcoidosis lesion demonstrated a layer-like distribution based on functional subsets. These findings also confirm that activated T cells were more abundantly distributed in the internal area of sarcoid granuloma than in the external area. (Internal Medicine 34: 847-855, 1995)

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