Vroom T M, Scholte G, Ossendorp F, Borst J
Department of Pathology, Rotterdam Cancer Center, The Netherlands.
J Clin Pathol. 1991 Dec;44(12):1012-7. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.12.1012.
In man and mice only a small proportion of T cells in the peripheral lymphoid compartment express the gamma delta T cell receptor (TCR). In mice, however, gamma delta T cells comprise the predominant population at particular epithelial sites--in epidermis and epithelia of intestine, reproductive organs, and tongue. The distribution of gamma delta T cells in normal human tissues was investigated, paying particular attention to epithelial layers. In all lymphatic organs and in epithelia of a wide variety of non-lymphatic organs, including the respiratory tract, male and female reproductive organs and tongue, gamma delta T cells constituted less than 5% of total T cells, with the remainder expressing TCR alpha beta. The only exception was the intestine, where gamma delta T cells were preferentially situated in the columnar epithelium of the crypts, rather than in the lamina propria. It is concluded, therefore, that human gamma delta T cells do not display a general epithelial tropism and are, in terms of relative numbers, no more able than alpha beta T cells to carry out continuous surveillance of the immune system against infection or transformation in epithelia. gamma delta T cells may, however, have a specialised function in the epithelium of the intestinal tract.
在人和小鼠中，外周淋巴区室中只有一小部分T细胞表达γδT细胞受体（TCR）。然而，在小鼠中，γδT细胞在特定上皮部位——表皮以及肠道、生殖器官和舌的上皮中占主要群体。研究了γδT细胞在正常人体组织中的分布，特别关注上皮层。在所有淋巴器官以及包括呼吸道、男性和女性生殖器官及舌在内的多种非淋巴器官的上皮中，γδT细胞占总T细胞的比例不到5%，其余表达TCRαβ。唯一的例外是肠道，γδT细胞优先位于隐窝的柱状上皮中，而非固有层。因此得出结论，人类γδT细胞不表现出普遍的上皮嗜性，就相对数量而言，其在对上皮中的感染或转化进行免疫系统持续监测方面并不比αβT细胞更有能力。然而，γδT细胞可能在肠道上皮中具有特殊功能。
