T-cell–receptor diversity of bone marrow–derived lymphocytes in thymoma patients.

(A) CDR3 heterogeneity length analysis of β variable 8 (BV8) families of T cells isolated from peripheral blood and bone marrow (PB and BM, respectively) of 5 patients with thymoma and B lymphopenia. In the cases of patients 091, 147, and 157, we refer to CD8⁺ T cells. Profiles for patients 051 and 009 have been generated from unfractionated T cells. (B) BV8 profiles of 2 patients with thymoma and normal B-cell counts (TC 011 and TC 087, respectively), 3 patients with thymoma-unrelated diseases (His 104, SLE 354, and MD27), and 2 healthy donors (HC 1 and HC 2). All profiles in panel C refer to CD8⁺ T cells, except for TC 011, His 104, and HC 1, in which data were generated on unsorted T cells. PCR products were separated on DNA sequencing polyacrylamide gel by using an automated ABI PRISM 377 apparatus (Perkin Elmer, Applied Biosystems, Warrington, United Kingdom). Band intensity and size were evaluated with the Gene Scan software (Perkin Elmer) and expressed as relative fluorescence units (rfu) and base pairs (bp). (C) Synopsis of TCR repertoire expressed in bone marrow–derived CD8⁺ and CD8⁻ T-cell subsets. Open, gridded, and filled boxes, respectively, represent BV families showing 3 standard profiles: normal (Gaussian distribution), altered (< 5 peaks with a non-Gaussian distribution), and mono-oligoclonal profile (< 3 major peaks). The absence of boxes represents undetectable BV families.