T CELL RECEPTOR EXPRESSION BY HUMAN INTRAEPITHELIAL LYMPHOCYTES; DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COELIAC DISEASE AND NORMAL JEJUNAL BIOPSIES IN NON-COELIAC ENTEROPATHY

Abstract

It has been suggested that most murine intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) express the γ/δ form of the T cell receptor (TCR γ/δ) rather than th α/β expressed by the majority of the peripheral T cells. TCR γ/δ is expressed predominantly by CD3+, CD4-, CD8- T cells. We have used immunocytochemistry to study TCR γ/δ expression by human IEL with a monoclonal antibody (TCRδ1) to the TCRδ chain. We studied normal jejunum, coeliac disease in which IEL density and CD4-, CD8-population is increased and tropical sprue, cows mild protein intolerance, post-enteritis syndrome and autoimmune enteropathy. Approximately 11% of IEL in normal jejunum expressed TCRδ1 compared to 33% in coeliac disease and 5% in tropical sprue, 14.6% in cows milk protein intolerance, 34.7% in postenteritis syndrome and 6.3% in autoimmune enteropathy. In the single case of postenteritis syndrome studied, the IEL density was not increased and the CD7+, CD3- IEL population was present which is absent in coeliac disease and despite the high % of TCT γ/δ would not be mistaken for coeliac disease. This study shows firstly that the TCR γ/δ is not the predominant form of T cell receptor in human IEL and secondly that TCR γ/δ expression, taken with other characteristics of the IEL population may be useful in discriminating between coeliac disease and other enteropathies.

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