Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1995 Aug;50(8):858–862. doi: 10.1136/thx.50.8.858

Gamma/delta T lymphocytes in the blood of patients with sarcoidosis.

M L Wilsher 1, M Hallowes 1, N M Birchall 1
PMCID: PMC474907  PMID: 7570437

Abstract

BACKGROUND--Gamma/delta T lymphocytes are thought to have a role in granulomatous immune responses at peripheral sites of antigen contact such as the gut, skin and lung. The aim of this study was to determine if gamma/delta T lymphocytes are increased in the peripheral blood of patients with active sarcoidosis. METHODS--Peripheral blood from 21 untreated patients with a new presentation of sarcoidosis (12M, 9F), 20 normal volunteers (12M, 8F), and 12 patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis were subjected to Ficoll Hypaque separation and flow cytometry analysis using monoclonal antibodies to CD3, 4, 8, 25, HLA-DR and gamma/delta T cell receptor. RESULTS--All patients with sarcoidosis had compatible chest radiographs and all were Mantoux negative in spite of previous BCG vaccination. In all but one patient histological examination showed non-caseating granuloma. There was no difference in the mean percentage or absolute numbers of gamma/delta positive peripheral blood lymphocytes between the three populations. Thirteen patients with sarcoidosis had an absolute lymphopenia and the mean percentage of CD3 positive peripheral blood lymphocytes in the group with sarcoidosis was lower than the other two groups. The percentage of CD25 and HLA-DR positive cells was higher in the group with sarcoidosis, supporting the fact that these patients had active disease. CONCLUSION--Gamma/delta T lymphocytes are not increased in the peripheral blood of patients with sarcoidosis and are unlikely to have a role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Full text

PDF
858

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Asarnow D. M., Kuziel W. A., Bonyhadi M., Tigelaar R. E., Tucker P. W., Allison J. P. Limited diversity of gamma delta antigen receptor genes of Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells. Cell. 1988 Dec 2;55(5):837–847. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90139-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Augustin A., Kubo R. T., Sim G. K. Resident pulmonary lymphocytes expressing the gamma/delta T-cell receptor. Nature. 1989 Jul 20;340(6230):239–241. doi: 10.1038/340239a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Balbi B., Valle M. T., Oddera S., Giunti D., Manca F., Rossi G. A., Allegra L. T-lymphocytes with gamma delta+ V delta 2+ antigen receptors are present in increased proportions in a fraction of patients with tuberculosis or with sarcoidosis. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993 Dec;148(6 Pt 1):1685–1690. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/148.6_Pt_1.1685. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Barnes P. F., Grisso C. L., Abrams J. S., Band H., Rea T. H., Modlin R. L. Gamma delta T lymphocytes in human tuberculosis. J Infect Dis. 1992 Mar;165(3):506–512. doi: 10.1093/infdis/165.3.506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Blackman M. A., Kappler J. W., Marrack P. T-cell specificity and repertoire. Immunol Rev. 1988 Jan;101:5–19. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1988.tb00730.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bluestone J. A., Matis L. A. TCR gamma delta cells--minor redundant T cell subset or specialized immune system component? J Immunol. 1989 Mar 15;142(6):1785–1788. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Born W., Happ M. P., Dallas A., Reardon C., Kubo R., Shinnick T., Brennan P., O'Brien R. Recognition of heat shock proteins and gamma delta cell function. Immunol Today. 1990 Feb;11(2):40–43. doi: 10.1016/0167-5699(90)90015-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Du Bois R. M., Kirby M., Balbi B., Saltini C., Crystal R. G. T-lymphocytes that accumulate in the lung in sarcoidosis have evidence of recent stimulation of the T-cell antigen receptor. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992 May;145(5):1205–1211. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/145.5.1205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Forrester J. M., Newman L. S., Wang Y., King T. E., Jr, Kotzin B. L. Clonal expansion of lung V delta 1+ T cells in pulmonary sarcoidosis. J Clin Invest. 1993 Jan;91(1):292–300. doi: 10.1172/JCI116184. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Inoue T., Yoshikai Y., Matsuzaki G., Nomoto K. Early appearing gamma/delta-bearing T cells during infection with Calmétte Guérin bacillus. J Immunol. 1991 Apr 15;146(8):2754–2762. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ito M., Kojiro N., Ikeda T., Ito T., Funada J., Kokubu T. Increased proportions of peripheral blood gamma delta T cells in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Chest. 1992 Jul;102(1):195–197. doi: 10.1378/chest.102.1.195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Modlin R. L., Pirmez C., Hofman F. M., Torigian V., Uyemura K., Rea T. H., Bloom B. R., Brenner M. B. Lymphocytes bearing antigen-specific gamma delta T-cell receptors accumulate in human infectious disease lesions. Nature. 1989 Jun 15;339(6225):544–548. doi: 10.1038/339544a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. O'Brien R. L., Happ M. P., Dallas A., Palmer E., Kubo R., Born W. K. Stimulation of a major subset of lymphocytes expressing T cell receptor gamma delta by an antigen derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cell. 1989 May 19;57(4):667–674. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90135-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ohga S., Yoshikai Y., Takeda Y., Hiromatsu K., Nomoto K. Sequential appearance of gamma/delta- and alpha/beta-bearing T cells in the peritoneal cavity during an i.p. infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Eur J Immunol. 1990 Mar;20(3):533–538. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830200311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Takagaki Y., DeCloux A., Bonneville M., Tonegawa S. Diversity of gamma delta T-cell receptors on murine intestinal intra-epithelial lymphocytes. Nature. 1989 Jun 29;339(6227):712–714. doi: 10.1038/339712a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tamura N., Moller D. R., Balbi B., Crystal R. G. Preferential usage of the T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain constant region C beta 1 element by lung T-lymphocytes of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Mar;143(3):635–639. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/143.3.635. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tazi A., Fajac I., Soler P., Valeyre D., Battesti J. P., Hance A. J. Gamma/delta T-lymphocytes are not increased in number in granulomatous lesions of patients with tuberculosis or sarcoidosis. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Dec;144(6):1373–1375. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/144.6.1373. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES