Analysis of the T lymphocyte receptor beta chain complementarity determining region 3 spectratyping in the peripheral blood and hepatic tissue of patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyse the spectral patterns of complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) length distribution of T lymphocyte receptor beta chain variable (TRBV) gene families in infiltrating T cells of the liver tissues and the peripheral blood samples of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in order to evaluate the characteristics of T cell clonal expansion. Methods The spectral patterns drift of TRBV gene families (the monoclonal/oligoclonal TCR β T cells) in the peripheral blood and hepatic tissues from 11 cases of CHB patients were analyzed by the real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) with DNA melting curve analysis, and abnormal rates of TRBV gene families were compared between CHB patients and healthy control. The comparison of rates was done by chi square test. Results The gene melting spectral pattern of 26 TRBV families of the 11 CHB patients, no matter in the peripheral blood or hepatic tissue, showed either a single peak or prominent melting peaks, even disappeared for certain TRBV families. The abnormal rate of TRBV gene families in the hepatic tissues was significantly higher than that in the peripheral blood samples (x2 = 23. 246, P＜0. 01). What is more interesting was that some parts of TRBV families were identical in both the peripheral blood and the hepatic tissue in certain patients. TCR BV13.1, TCR BV17 and TCR BV22 fragments were found to be restricted used in both the peripheral blood and hepatic tissue by some CHB patients. Conclusions T cells in the peripheral blood and the hepatic tissues of CHB patients can develop clonal expansion to some extent.Parts of TRBV families are restricted used in the peripheral blood and hepatic tissue in some CHB patients, which offers a foundation for further studying the common specific spectral drift patterns of TRBV CDR3 gene in CHB patients.