Das T-Zell-Rezeptor-Repertoire bei der Polymyositis

Abstract

Polymyositis (PM) is an autoimmune disease cased by CD8+ T lymphocytes that destroy HLA class I-expressing skeletal muscle fibres. Recently we demonstrated that the autoaggressive T lymphocytes in PM muscle are clonally expanded. We employed a new PCR-based method to identify and characterize clonally expanded T cell populations. The method (CDR3-Spectratyping) relies on te natural length variation of the third hypervariable region (CDR3) of the rearranged T cell receptor gene: whereas a polyclonal T cell population shows a random, Gauss-distributed length variation of the CDR3, a clonally expanded population has a uniform CDR3 length, which can be identified as a single band on a sequencing gel. We analysed matched pairs of cDNA from muscle biopsies and peripheral blood lymphocytes of PM patients and confirmed previously identified expanded T cell clones in muscle biopsy specimen. Moreover, we repeatedly detected identical clonally expanded T cell populations both in the imflamed muscle tissue and in the peripheral blood of untreated PM patients.

• Item Type: Thesis (Dissertation, LMU Munich)
• Keywords: Polymyositis, CDR3-Spectratyping, T-Zell-Rezeptor
• Dewey Decimal Classification: 600 Technology, Medicine; 600 Technology, Medicine > 610 Medical sciences and medicine
• Faculties: Faculty of Medicine
• Language: German
• Date Accepted: 16. October 2003
• Persistent Identifier (URN): urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-14196
• Signature of the printed copy: 0700/UMD 10244