The responsiveness of human Vδ1 γδ T cells to Borrelia burgdorferi is largely restricted to synovial-fluid cells from patients with Lyme arthritis

Abstract

It has been shown that human γδ T cells expressing the Vδ1 T cell receptor (TCR) respond to the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Lysates of 3 Borrelia genospecies triggered the proliferation of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells not only from patients with skin manifestations of Borrelia infection and from patients with Lyme arthritis but also from healthy donors. However, with the exception of 1 patient with Lyme arthritis, no selective expansion of Vδ1-expressing γδ T cells was induced. In contrast, synovial-fluid mononuclear cells (SFMC) from 3 of 5 patients with Lyme arthritis responded with a selective outgrowth of Vδ1 γδ T cells. Vδl γδ T cell lines established from SFMC coexpressed various TCR Vγ chains, although Vγ8 was preferentially used. Thus, the responsiveness to Borrelia antigens is not a general property of Vδ1-expressing γδ T cells but is largely restricted to Vδ1 γδ T cells recruited into the inflamed tissue.