PREFERENTIAL USAGE OF T-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR-V REGION GENE SEGMENT V-BETA-5.1 BY BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI ANTIGEN-REACTIVE T-CELL CLONES ISOLATED FROM A PATIENT WITH LYME-DISEASE
R. Lahesmaa et al., PREFERENTIAL USAGE OF T-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR-V REGION GENE SEGMENT V-BETA-5.1 BY BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI ANTIGEN-REACTIVE T-CELL CLONES ISOLATED FROM A PATIENT WITH LYME-DISEASE, The Journal of immunology, 150(9), 1993, pp. 4125-4135
Forty-three CD3+4+8- TCRalphabeta+ Borrelia burgdorferi-reactive T cel
l clones isolated from the peripheral blood of a single patient with c
linically active chronic Lyme arthritis were characterized. The spiroc
hetal Ag recognized by 16 of these T cell clones was determined by rea
ctivity with a panel of recombinant spirochetal Ag, which included the
OspA, OspB, flagellin, Hsp60 and Hsp70 proteins. All three T cell clo
nes reactive with heat shock proteins recognized a non-cross-reactive
epitope unique to the spirochetal Ag. Analysis of the TCR V regions re
vealed preferential usage of Vbeta5.1; 5 of 15 T cell clones that reco
gnized an unidentified spirochetal Ag utilized this Vbeta gene segment
. Most of the T cell clones recognized a given spirochetal Ag exclusiv
ely within the context of one HLA class II allele. However, two T cell
clones, which recognized an unidentified Ag in the spirochetal lysate
within the context of different HLA class II alleles, were both TCR V
beta5.1+, although each displayed a distinct alpha-chain. Moreover, in
vitro incubation of this patient's PBMC with B. burgdorferi Ag result
ed in a specific increase in the percentage of T cells expressing TCR
Vbeta5.1. These results indicate that B. burgdorferi has a Vbeta-selec
tive factor influencing the cellular immune response in a patient with
clinically active Lyme disease.