Selective expansion of T cells expressing Vβ2 in peanut allergy

Abstract
Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal and near‐fatal food‐induced anaphylaxis. The immune basis for susceptibility to peanut allergy is poorly understood. The current study examined the possibility that patients with peanut allergy, as compared to normals, use different T cell receptor variable beta regions (Vβ) in the recognition of peanuts. The results demonstrate that stimulation of T cells from patients with peanut allergy results in the selective expansion of Vβ2+ T cells.