Restricted junctional usage of T cell receptor Vβ2 and Vβ13 genes,which are overrepresented on infiltrating T cells in the lips of patients with sjögren's syndrome

Objective. To analyze the clonality of T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ2—and Vβ13—positive T cells, which are predominantly expressed in the lips of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Methods. The junctional sequences of complementary DNA clones encoding TCR Vβ2 and Vβ13 genes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction. Forty-one Vβ2 and 45 Vβ13 clones established from the lips of 3 SS patients were sequenced. Results. The Vβ2/Jβ2.3 pair was enriched in 2 of the 3 patients (44% and 46% of the clones, respectively), and the Vβ13/Jβ2.1 sequence was dominant in 2 of the 3 (23% and 45%). These pairs were not used preferentially in peripheral blood lymphocytes from the same patients. Conclusion. Infiltrating Vβ2- and Vβ13-positive T cells from the lips of all 3 patients with SS were polyclonal, but the junctional usage of cells from 2 lip samples was restricted, compared with cells from peripheral blood. This suggests that not all expanded cells from the lips of SS patients are stimulated by superantigens.