PHENOTYPIC ANALYSIS OF A CD2- CD3+ T-CELL RECEPTOR GAMMA-DELTA-LYMPHOCYTE SUBSET

We have identified, in a patient with atopic dermatitis, a consistent population of peripheral blood lymphocytes expressing a CD3+ γ δ TCR complex, while being unreactive with CD2. Further immunoflourescence studies showed that these cells almost completely co-express CD29 and CD45RA and have high membrane levels of CD11a compared to the α β TCR T cells. Neither a genetic influence nor an acute or reactivated herpesvirus infection were found to be related to the expanded γ δ T-cell subpopulation. Our data confirm the previous observations regarding the presence in the peripheral blood of an expanded γ δ TCR, CD2- subset and show that these cells have a peculiar phenotypic profile. The reasons for this expansion are, however, still unknown. © 1990.