Restricted T-cell receptor repertoire in melanoma metastases regressing after cytokine therapy

Cancer Res. 2003 Jul 1;63(13):3483-5.

Abstract

One major rationale for using interleukin-2 and IFN-alpha in cancer immunotherapy is to activate tumor-specific T cells at the tumor site. To study the in situ T-cell response, we determined the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in six melanoma metastases regressing after cytokine treatment obtained from five patients. Sequence analysis of overexpressed TCR beta-chain variable regions revealed the presence of clonally expanded T cells and also of T cells with highly homologous complementarity determining regions 3 in all five patients. This finding indicates that the T-cell response in regressing melanoma lesions is dominated by T cells directed toward a limited number of epitopes and that epitope-specific T cells frequently use a highly restricted TCR repertoire.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • DNA, Complementary / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
  • Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use*
  • Melanoma / drug therapy
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Melanoma / pathology*
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / chemistry
  • Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Interleukin-2
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell