CHARACTERIZATION OF T-CELL REPERTOIRE CHANGES IN ACUTE KAWASAKI-DISEASE

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute multisystem vasculitis of unknown etiology that is associated with marked activation of T cells and monocyte/macrophages. Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, we recently found that the acute phase of KD is associated with the expansion of T cells expressing the Vbeta2 and Vbeta8.1 gene segments. In the present work, we used a newly developed anti-Vbeta2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and studied a new group of KD patients to extend our previous PCR results. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that Vbeta2-bearing T cells are selectively increased in patients with acute KD. The increase occurred primarily in the CD4 T cell subset. The percentages of Vbeta2+ T cells as determined by mAb reactivity and flow cytometry correlated linearly with Vbeta expression as quantitated by PCR. However, T cells from acute KD patients appeared to express proportionately higher levels of Vbeta2 transcripts per cell as compared with healthy controls or convalescent KD patients. Sequence analysis of T cell receptor beta chain genes of Vbeta2 and Vbeta8.1 expressing T cells from acute KD patients showed extensive junctional region diversity. These data showing polyclonal expansion of Vbeta2+ and Vbeta8+ T cells in acute KD provide additional insight into the immunopathogenesis of this disease.