Oligoclonal expansions of T-cell repertoire in gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue type B-cell lymphoma and adjacent gastritis.

Local stimulation by Helicobacter pylori (HP), autoantigen, and a concurrent T-cell-mediated stimulation of B cells are believed to play an important role in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type B cell lymphomagenesis. Many autoimmune diseases have shown to lead to a skewed T-cell repertoire with autoantigen specific expansions and deletions. Characterization of lymphoma and gastritis areas of seven gastrectomy specimens using a T-cell receptor beta variable chain (TCR betaV) family-specific reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis revealed a local chronic and acute activation of T cells in lymphoma and an oligoclonal T-cell repertoire in gastritis and in lymphoma, partially sharing the same clones. Local activation and a partial identity suggest that an antigenic challenge caused by a common local pathogen may still continue to take place in MALT type lymphoma as in gastritis, consistent with the view that gastritis may be a precursor lesion of MALT type lymphoma. Expansions that were found only in one of the compartments suggest that also an immune hyperstimulation may contribute to the T-cell repertoire, possibly because of certain tissue antigens. Deletions of TCR betaV families found only in gastritis underline the view that autoantigen may play an important role in its pathogenesis.