K. Chikamatsu et al., T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA GENE REARRANGEMENTS OF T-LYMPHOCYTES INFILTRATING THE MUCOSA IN CHRONIC SINUSITIS, American journal of rhinology, 9(6), 1995, pp. 347-352
Lymphocytic infiltration within the mucosa of patients with chronic si
nusitis may reflect an in situ immune reaction. An analysis of the T-c
ell receptor (TCR) expressed by these lymphocytes may help to understa
nd T-cell immunity in chronic sinusitis. We analyzed the TCR V beta ge
ne rearrangements in T cells that infiltrated the mucosa of the maxill
ary sinuses in 24 patients with chronic sinusitis using the reverse tr
anscription polymerase chain reaction method. The analysis of the TCR
V beta repertoire revealed a significant limited usage (P < 0.01) of t
he V beta gene families, compared with peripheral blood lymphocytes th
at expressed all of the gene families in all these patients. The limit
ed gene usage of the T cells suggests that bacterial or viral infectio
n of the sinus mucosa attracts T cells that specifically respond to th
e bacterial or virus-derived antigens.