TABLE 2.

Indications for a combination of TCR CDR3 analysis with the quantitative TCR VB assessment

Analysis	Advantages and comments
Definition of the CD4+/CD8+ T-cell population in patients with cancer or viral infection, or undergoing epitope-based vaccination	This may be useful if no tetramer reagents are available or if the entire CD4/CD8 T-cell population is examined for TCR diversity, particularly in studies addressing T-cell homeostasis
Identification of T-cell malignancies	Detection of monoclonal TCR transcripts and quantitation.
Determination of superantigen effects on T cells	Expansion of certain polyclonal VB families
Identification of individual expanded VB families in PBL or freshly harvested TIL	Individual VB families may be present in sufficient numbers to allow flow-cytometric sorting; such T cells may represent effector cells directed against cancer cells or virus-associated antigens
Longitudinal analysis of the quality and quantity of peripheral T cells in patients undergoing T-cell reconstitution, e.g. during highly active anti-retroviral therapy, or in patients receiving bone marrow transplantation	Can be used for gauging the restoration of the CD4/CD8 T-cell compartment(s)
Comparison of the TCR diversity within an individual patient in different anatomic compartments	To compare the T-cell infiltrate in the tumor (or any inflammatory) lesion, the T-cell infiltrate should be separated after CD4+/CD8+ staining to allow a comparison with the TCR diversity within the CD4+ or CD8+ T-cell population