EXPRESSION OF T-CELL RECEPTOR-V-BETA TRANSCRIPTS IN CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF MICE SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESISTANT TO THEILERS VIRUS-INDUCED DEMYELINATION

We utilized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to examine for preferential expression of T cell receptor (TcR) Vbetas in T cells infiltrating the central nervous system (CNS) of mice infected with Theiler's virus. Infection of susceptible strains of mice with Theiler's virus results in demyelinating disease similar to multiple sclerosis. At 7 days following infection, no difference was observed in TcR Vbeta usage in lymphocytes infiltrating the CNS between resistant (B10.K) and susceptible (B10.Q or SJL/J) mice. In susceptible mice with prominent demyelination (day 45 and 238 following infection), no preferential expression of TcR Vbetas was observed in the CNS. There is strong evidence that T cells play a major role in pathogenesis of TMEV-induced demyelination. There is increasing evidence using recombinant inbred strain mice with TcR Vbeta deletions that T cells expressing certain TcR Vbeta genes may be critical in the disease process. Yet, analysis of TcR Vbeta expression on T cells in CNS using PCR technology did not provide a way to dissect which antigen-specific T cells play a role in disease. These results confirm that during active demyelination specific as well as non-specific T cells are recruited to the CNS. Even though the pathogenesis of TMEV-induced disease may not be identical to that in multiple sclerosis, it is unlikely that similar approaches utilizing polymerase chain reaction will provide insights to the role of T cell receptors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.