[T cell receptor repertoire of infiltrating T cells in the interstitial nephritis of patients with Sjögren's syndrome].

We examined the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of infiltrating T cells in the kidney, labial salivary glands (LSGs) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients with interstitial nephritis. The TCR V beta gene repertoire in kidney was more restricted compared with that in LSGs and PBLs. The TCR V beta 2 gene was predominantly expressed in six of seven kidneys (86%). Junctional sequence of TCR V beta 2 gene shows that some of these cells expanded clonally. The identical TCR clones in the kidneys were not detected in LSGs and the amino acid (Arg96) in the CDR3 region of V beta 2 gene was conserved specifically in kidneys. These findings suggest that T cells infiltrating in the kidneys from SS patients with interstitial nephritis identify different autoantigens from LSGs rather than superantigen.