Restricted junctional usage of T cell receptor Vβ2 and Vβ13 genes, which are overrepresented on infiltrating T cells in the lips of patients with sjögren's syndrome

Abstract

Infiltrating V beta 2- and V beta 13-positive T cells from the lips of all 3 patients with SS were polyclonal, but the junctional usage of cells from 2 lip samples was restricted, compared with cells from peripheral blood. This suggests that not all expanded cells from the lips of SS patients are stimulated by superantigens.