Identical T-cell expansions in the colon mucosa and the synovium of a patient with enterogenic spondyloarthropathy

Gastroenterology. 2000 Dec;119(6):1745-55. doi: 10.1053/gast.2000.20173.

Abstract

Intestinal T lymphocytes activated by antigen are suspected to play a key role in enterogenic spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Therefore, we aimed to identify and functionally characterize T-cell clones that are coexpanded in the intestinal mucosa and the synovium. Colon, peripheral blood, and synovium of a patient with enterogenic SpA were screened for clonal T-cell expansions by TCRB-CDR3 length analysis and sequencing. T-cell clones expanded in vivo were isolated from archived synovial cells by targeted T-cell cloning and characterized for phenotype, cytokine production, and antigen specificity. The synovial TCRBV18(+) T-cell repertoire of the patient was dominated by 2 CD8(+) T-cell clones using related CDR3. Both clones were expanded throughout the colon and were present in the peripheral blood. Upon in vitro stimulation with PDB/ionomycin, they showed predominantly interferon gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 but also tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-10 production and did not specifically lyse autologous T-cell blasts, B-cell lines, or other autologous or allogeneic target or CD1d-transfected cells. These findings strongly suggest that T lymphocytes activated by antigen in the intestinal mucosa contribute to joint inflammation in enterogenic SpA by recognition of antigens specific for the inflamed synovium.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / blood
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / genetics
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence / genetics
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / physiology
  • Clone Cells
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / pathology*
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / blood
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / genetics
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / metabolism
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Diseases / complications*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / blood
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / metabolism
  • Spinal Diseases / etiology*
  • Spinal Diseases / pathology*
  • Synovial Membrane / metabolism
  • Synovial Membrane / pathology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / physiology

Substances

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Cytokines
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta