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An analysis of T cell antigen receptor variable beta genes during the clinical course of patients with chronic
1First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Background:
The degree of hepatocyte injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B appears consistent with the number of T cells that respond to hepatitis B virus-related antigens.
Methods:
By using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach, we monitored a ratio of the T cell antigen receptor (TcR) variable (V) beta gene families against a total TcR V beta gene expression in the peripheral T cells obtained from five patients and four healthy controls.
Results:
In the healthy controls, there was no significant change in the ratios at an interval of four or eight weeks. In contrast, several TcR V beta families showed the significant changes in the ratios of their gene expression during the follow-up period in all patients. No common highly fluctuated TcR V beta, however, was found among the patients. Furthermore, there was no correlation between their changes and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that the skewing of the TcR family with multiclone is the result of T-cell responses to viral antigens in peripheral blood.