Clonally expanded alpha-chain T-cell receptor (TCR) transcripts are present in aneurysmal lesions of patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA).

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening immunological disease responsible for 1 to 2% of all deaths in 65 year old or older individuals. Although mononuclear cell infiltrates have been demonstrated in AAA lesions and autoimmunity may be responsible for the initiation and account for the propagation of the disease, the information available about the pathogenesis of AAA is limited. To examine whether AAA lesions from patients with AAA contain clonally expanded α-chain TCR transcripts, we amplified by the non-palindromic adaptor-PCR (NPA-PCR)/Vα-specific PCR and/or the Vα-specific PCR these α-chain TCR transcripts.

Aneurysmal lesions of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm contain clonally expanded T cells.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common disease with often life-threatening consequences. This vascular disorder is responsible for 1-2% of all deaths in men aged 65 years or older. Autoimmunity may be responsible for the pathogenesis of AAA.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a specific antigen-driven T cell disease.

To determine whether monoclonal/oligoclonal T cells are present in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) lesions, we amplified beta-chain T cell receptor (TCR) transcripts from these lesions by the nonpalindromic adaptor (NPA)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/V-beta-specific PCR followed by cloning and sequencing. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of substantial proportions of identical beta-chain TCR transcripts in AAA lesions in 9 of 10 patients examined, strongly suggesting the presence of oligoclonal populations of alphabeta TCR+ T cells. We have also shown the presence of oligoclonal populations of gammadelta TCR+ T cells in AAA lesions.

Substantial proportions of identical beta-chain T-cell receptor transcripts are present in epithelial ovarian carcinoma tumors.

To determine whether clonally expanded T cells are present in tumor specimens from patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) we amplified by the non-palindromic adaptor PCR (NPA-PCR) or by Vbeta-specific PCR beta-chain T-cell receptor (TCR) transcripts from these tumor specimens. The amplified transcripts were cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of substantial proportions of multiple identical copies of beta-chain TCR transcripts, suggesting the presence of clonal expansions of T cells in these patients, which were statistically significant by the binomial distribution in seven of nine patients.