Analysis of T cell receptor repertoire in patients with chronic asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clonality of the T cells and the role of cellular immunological pathogenesis in chronic asymptomatic HBV carriers (AsC) by TCR CDR3 size spectratyping and determining sequence. Methods The TCR CDR3 region genes of 24 BV families were amplified by utilizing inverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology, and the CDR3 size lengths of T cell receptor (TCR) ?-chain were analyzed with Genescan technology for 4 healthy individuals and 9 AsCs. The clonality of T cells presumed by spectratyping was further confirmed by CDR3 sequencing. Results The CDR3 repertoire of 4 healthy individuals showed Gaussian distribution. The clonal expansions of T cell were observed in 8 out of 9 AsCs. The expanded T cells have different CDR3 sequences. Conclusion There is significantly clonal expansion in the compartment of the peripheral blood T lymphocyte in AsCs. The expanded T cells do not have homogenicity.