[Lineage polymorphism of TCR Vα CDR3 in peripheral blood of uveitis patients]

To study the lineage polymorphism of TCR Vα complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) in the peripheral blood of uveitis patients.

Thirty-four subfamilies of TCR Vα CDR3 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of uveitis patients were amplified by RT-PCR, and then TCR Vα CDR3 lineage polymorphism was analyzed by immunoscope spectratyping.

Most spectral type of the 34 subfamilies in 5 normal controls showed Gauss distribution. TCR Vα CDR3 scanning spectrum of 4 uveitis patients showed abnormal distribution peak, including monoclonal, oligoclonal/oligoclonal trend, skewing peak and irregular abnormal peak. The frequencies of abnormal peak type varied in the 34 TCR Vα subfamilies. A higher frequency of abnormal peak type was found in Vα13 and Vα17 subfamilies, while no abnormal peak type was found in Vα1.1, Vα10, Vα20 and Vα28 subfamilies. Abnormal peak was shown in Vα7 subfamily in the HLA-B27-negative patient (U2) , but no abnormal peak was shown in Vα7 subfamily in the 3 HLA-B27-positive patients (U1, U3, U4); Conversely, abnormal peak type of TCR Vα13 was found in all the 3 HLA-B27-positive patients, but normal in HLA-B27-negative patients.

TCR Vα CDR3 lineage has significant characteristic polymorphism in the peripheral blood of uveitis patients. Monoclonal/oligoclonal expansion of T cells may be autoreactive T cells in nature and they may be involved in pathogenesis of uveitis.