T-cell receptor V beta usage by lesional lymphocytes in oral lichen planus

To determine whether the T-cell inflammatory infiltrate in oral lichen planus (OLP) represents a selective activation and expansion of a limited repertoire of T-cell receptor (TCR) specific T-cells, V beta gene expression was investigated in lesional T-lymphocytes in OLP. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to amplify the 24 major V beta gene sub-families of infiltrating mucosal lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNC) in seven patients with reticular OLP and four healthy control patients. Specificity of amplified products was confirmed by Southern blotting with a C beta internal probe. TCR V beta usage by lesional T-cells in OLP was markedly heterogeneous 5-23 V beta sub-families). In 6/8 patients with OLP, V beta usage was restricted with < or = 20/25 sub-families detected; only one of the V beta sub-families (V beta 8) was present in all of the OLP patients demonstrating TCR V beta restriction. In contrast, TCR V beta usage was unrestricted in PMNC from OLP patients and controls (> or = 23/ 25 sub-families detected). In three patients, certain V beta sub-families (V beta 13, V beta 14 & V beta 15) were present in the lesional T-cell population but were under-represented in PMNC. These results suggest a selective V beta gene usage by lesional infiltrating T-cells in oral lichen planus. The non-uniformity of V beta restriction in lesional T-cells does not support the concept of a common superantigen in OLP and reflects the heterogeneity of the disease.