PREFERENTIAL USAGE OF T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA-17 BY DENGUE VIRUS-SPECIFIC HUMAN T-LYMPHOCYTES IN A DONOR WITH IMMUNITY TO DENGUE VIRUS TYPE-4

In order to better understand human T-cell responses to dengue viruses (DV), we analyzed T-cell receptor (TCR) VP gene usage in DV-specific T lymphocytes. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from a DV type 4 immune donor were stimulated in vitro with DV type 4 antigen, and TCR usage w as examined by reverse transcriptase PCR. TCR V beta 17 was preferenti ally used (P = 0.020) among T cells stimulated by DV type 4 in bulk cu lture. Furthermore, 8 of 19 DV type 4-specific CD4(+) T-cell clones es tablished from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressed VP 17 (P = 0.008). Preferential usage of TCR V alpha was not found among T c ells expressing VP 17. These results indicate that there is preferenti al usage of TCR VP 17 among DV-specific T cells in this donor and sugg est that T cells with certain TCRs may be important in immune response s to DV.