Hodges E, Krishna M T, Pickard C, Smith J L
Wessex Immunology, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
J Clin Pathol. 2003 Jan;56(1):1-11. doi: 10.1136/jcp.56.1.1.
Rapid advances in molecular biological techniques have made it possible to study disease pathogenesis at a genomic level. T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement is an important event in T cell ontogeny that enables T cells to recognise antigens specifically, and any dysregulation in this complex yet highly regulated process may result in disease. Using techniques such as Southern blot hybridisation, polymerase chain reaction, and flow cytometry it has been possible to characterise T cell proliferations in malignancy and in diseases where T cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis. The main aim of this article is to discuss briefly the process of TCR gene rearrangement and highlight the disorders in which expansions or clonal proliferations of T cells have been recognised. It will also describe various methods that are currently used to study T cell populations in body fluids and tissue, their diagnostic role, and current limitations of the methodology.
分子生物学技术的飞速发展使得在基因组水平研究疾病发病机制成为可能。T细胞受体（TCR）基因重排是T细胞个体发育中的一个重要事件，它使T细胞能够特异性识别抗原，而这一复杂且高度调控的过程中的任何失调都可能导致疾病。利用诸如Southern印迹杂交、聚合酶链反应和流式细胞术等技术，已能够对恶性肿瘤以及T细胞参与发病机制的疾病中的T细胞增殖进行特征描述。本文的主要目的是简要讨论TCR基因重排过程，并强调已识别出T细胞扩增或克隆增殖的疾病。它还将描述目前用于研究体液和组织中T细胞群体的各种方法、它们的诊断作用以及该方法当前的局限性。
