Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025

T and B Cell Receptor Immune Repertoire Analysis using Next-generation Sequencing
Published on: January 12, 2021
Characteristics of T-Cell Receptor Repertoire for Differential Response to Methotrexate Treatment for Rheumatoid
Taowa Zhao1,2, Qian Zhang1, Qinwen Wen3
1Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Ningbo, China.
Background:
Methotrexate (MTX) serves as the initial treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, a substantial proportion of RA patients, estimated between 30% and 50%, do not respond positively to MTX. While the T-cell receptor (TCR) is crucial for the immune response during RA, its role in differentiating MTX responsiveness has not been thoroughly investigated.
Methods:
This study used next-generation sequencing to analyze the TCR β-chain complementary determining region sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from RA patients before MTX treatment. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of the TCR repertoire between the MTX responder and non-responder groups.
Results:
The study identified a significant difference in the TRBV6-6 gene (p = .003) concerning MTX treatment response. Additionally, a significant difference was found in the number of "3" nucleotide deletions at the 5'Jdels site (p = .023) in the VDJ rearrangement.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest distinct TCR repertoire characteristics between MTX responder and non-responder groups among RA patients. This discovery offers new insights into understanding the variable responses of RA patients to MTX therapy.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...

