T-CELL RECEPTOR BETA-CHAIN DNA POLYMORPHISM FREQUENCIES IN HEALTHY HLA-DR HOMOZYGOTES

Abstract: In view of numerous recent reports of T‐cell receptor (TCR) β‐chain/disease associations with HLA‐associated diseases, we tested the possibilities that associations might exist directly between these two gene complexes at the level of the germline DNA. We determined frequencies of five TCR‐β DNA polymorphisms in 33 HLA‐DR2/2 homozygotes, 29 HLA‐DR3/3 homozygotes and 42 HLA‐DR4/4 homozygotes. The control population (n = 74) was chosen without “bias toward” their HLA‐DR genes. We selected DR2, DR3 and DR4 homozygotes because they have been the most frequently involved in HLA‐DR associated diseases. Our results indicate that the recent reports in the literature of TCR‐β/ disease associations can not be explained by a significantly different distribution of TCR‐β genes in HLA‐DR2+, ‐DR3+, or ‐DR4+ subpopulations. Our results also suggest that if co‐evolution between TCR‐β and MHC haplotypes does exist, the selective pressures in recent generations have not been strong enough to significantly alter the germline TCR‐β gene frequencies in HLA‐DR2+, ‐DR3+, or ‐DR4+ subpopulations. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved