TUMOR-INFILTRATING
LYMPOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH
GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME CONTAIN OLIGOCLONAL POPULATIONS OF T
CELLS
W.L. Lin1, J.E.
Fincke1, A. W. Laske2, A. Kendler3,
M. Curtis4, R. Schwarting4, and C.D.
Platsoucas1*. Dept Microbiol & Immunol1,
Neurosurgery2, Dept Pathol Lab Med3
Temple Univ Sch Med, Philadelphia, PA; Dept Pathol Lab Med,
Thomas Jefferson Univ, Philadelphia, PA4
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have
been found in the majority of human and animal tumors and their
presence has been often associated with improved prognosis and
increased survival. To determine whether T cells infiltrating
brain tumors are comprised of oligoclonal populations, b -chain T-cell receptor
(TCR) transcripts from brain biopsy specimens from two patients
with glioblastoma multiforme and one with astrocytoma were
amplified by the nonpalindromic adaptor-PCR method, and the
amplified transcripts were cloned and sequenced. Sequence
analysis of b -chain TCR transcripts from one patient with
glioblastoma multiforme revealed multiple identical copies of TCR
b -chain
transcripts, suggesting the presence of oligoclonal population(s)
of T cells. These clonal expansions were confirmed using Vb -specific PCR, an
independent amplification method. b -chain TCR transcripts from the brain tumors of
the two other patients were amplified by two-sided Vb -specific PCR.
Substantial proportions of identical b -chain TCR transcripts were found in both
patients. These findings suggest that the T-cell infiltrating
these tumors are clonally expanded at the site of the tumor, in
an antigen-driven manner, in response to as yet unknown
antigen(s).