Identification of systemically expanded activated T cell clones in MRL/lpr and NZB/W F1 lupus model mice
CD4⁺T lymphocytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To characterize the clonal expansion of CD4⁺T cells in murine lupus models, we analysed the T cell clonality in various organs of young and nephritic MRL/lpr and NZB/W F1 mice using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and subsequent single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. We demonstrated that some identical T cell clonotypes expanded and accumulated in different organs (the bilateral kidneys, brain, lung and intestine) in nephritic diseased mice, and that a number of these identical clonotypes were CD4⁺T cells...
Clonal dynamics of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes
The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) provides important evidence of anti-tumor immunity in vivo. However, TIL are usually not sufficient for inhibiting tumor growth. We explored the spatial and temporal aspects of clonal accumulation of TIL using RT-PCR/single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. In CMS5 fibrosarcomas in BALB/c mice, accumulated T cell clones were specific in that dominant TIL were identical between distant tumors. Moreover, dominant TIL in the first tumor appeared consistently in the second tumor inoculated after formation of the first tumor. These results suggest that TIL show a certain level of specific tumor surveillance...