Preferential Vβ3 usage by hepatic T lymphocytes in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis

Background/Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis are two biliary destructive disorders characterized by prominent T lymphocyte infiltrates in areas of portal destruction. The specificity of the T cell is determined by the T cell receptor for antigens. The aim of this study was to investigate the preference by which certain Vα and Vβ gene segments are expressed by peripheral and hepatic T cells in primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Methods: The usage of the α/βT cell receptor (TcR) V gene of liver infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes from 12 primary sclerosing cholangitis patients, 10 primary biliary cirrhosis patients and healthy controls was investigated, using α/β TcR V gene product-specific monoclonal antibodies. HLA class II antigen typing with genomic typing technique was done in primary sclerosing cholangitis patients. Results: A significant difference between the studied groups of patients was an increase in the expression of Vβ3+ T cells in liver tissue from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis compared to patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and healthy controls (p<0.01). No significant differences were found in the peripheral blood between the three groups. Furthermore, no related between the different TcR Vα/β cells and histological staging and class II antigen association was observed. Conclusions: Predominant TcR Vβ3 gene usage in liver tissue in primary sclerosing cholangitis may indicate the presence of a specific antigen in this tissue with the capacity of selectivity driving T cells, utilizing the Vβ3 gene segment product, in primary sclerosing cholangitis patients.