Role of γδ T lymphocytes in the development of Behçet's disease

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 107; no. 2; pp. 241 - 247
• Main Authors: YAMASHITA, N, KANEOKA, H, KANEKO, S, TAKENO, M, ONEDA, K, KOIZUMI, H, KOGURE, M, INABA, G, SAKANE, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell 01.02.1997; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Medical sciences; Original; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Human; Skin disease; Molecular form; Gamma-Peptide chain; Stomatology; Pathogenesis; Cardiovascular disease; Cellular immunity; Behçet syndrome; Cell subpopulation; Cell surface; Genital diseases; Vascular disease; Antigen; Eye disease; Delta-Peptide chain; Systemic disease; T-Lymphocyte
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1997.274-ce1159.x

Phenotypic and functional properties of γδ T cells, which play an important role in mucocutaneous immunity, were examined to elucidate whether immunological abnormality in Behc¸et's disease may be related to a specific T cell population. We found that CD45RA + Vγ9 + Vδ2 + γδ T cells, which constitute a minor population of γδ T cells in healthy individuals, were increased in number in Behc¸et's disease irrespective of disease activity. This CD45RA + subset of γδ T cells in the active, but not inactive, phase of this disease expressed IL-2Rβ and HLA-DR, suggesting that they are activated in vivo in active Behc¸et's disease. In addition, the CD45RA + γδ T cells produced extreme amounts of tumour necrosis factor and contained perforin granules. These data indicate that a phenotypically distinct subset of γδ T cells, CD45RA + CD45RO − Vγ9 + Vδ2 + , may contribute to immunological abnormalities which may lead to complexity of pathophysiology in Behc¸et's disease.