Reconstitution of the T cell receptor αβ repertoire in recipients of allogeneic BMT

This report describes the qualitative analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire regeneration in recipients of BMT. RNA samples from patient and control peripheral blood lymphocytes were prepared and tested for the presence of multiple Vα and Vβ transcripts by the polymerase chain reaction. TCR V gene expression was highly diverse within the first 6 months post-transplantation in recipients receiving either T cell-depleted or T cell-replete marrow, and in HLA mismatched as well as matched donor-recipient pairs. The sequencing of TCR message from BMT recipients also demonstrated J gene diversity and apparently normal junctional diversity at the V-Jα join. Thus, T cell pools in BMT recipients are largely heterogeneous, not mono- or oligoclonal.