T cell receptor Vbeta repertoire of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in oral squamous-cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are frequently infiltrated by tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) which may demonstrate specific anti-tumour cytotoxicity. We have used a panel of family-specific primers in reverse-transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reactions (PCR) to determine the TCR Vbeta repertoire of TILs in the primary and metastatic tumours in patients with OSCC. We observed a diverse and heterogenous usage of TCR Vbeta genes by TILs in the primary tumours, a scenario not unlike normal oral mucosal lymphocytes. In one patient with a longstanding history of OSCC, the repertoire was restricted. Restricted TCR Vbeta gene usage also occurred in TILs of metastatic tumours. Within individual patients, discrepancies of TCR Vbeta gene usage were also observed between TILs in the primary OSCC and those in metastatic lymph nodes. Work is ongoing to determine the clonality and functional significance of these TILs.