@article {Duchmann812, author = {R Duchmann and E May and M Heike and P Knolle and M Neurath and K-H Meyer zum B{\"u}schenfelde}, title = {T cell specificity and cross reactivity towards enterobacteria,Bacteroides,Bifidobacterium, and antigens from resident intestinal flora in humans}, volume = {44}, number = {6}, pages = {812--818}, year = {1999}, doi = {10.1136/gut.44.6.812}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group}, abstract = {BACKGROUND T cell responses to normal intestinal bacteria or their products may be important in the immunopathogenesis of chronic enterocolitis.AIMS To investigate the T cell specificity and cross reactivity towards intestinal bacteria.PATIENTS/METHODS T cell clones were isolated with phytohaemagglutinin from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens of inflamed and non-inflamed colon from five patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and two controls. T cell clones were restimulated with anaerobicBacteroides andBifidobacteria species, enterobacteria, and direct isolates of aerobic intestinal flora. T cell phenotype was analysed by single-cell immunocyte assay.RESULTS Analysis of 96 T cell clones isolated from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens from two patients with IBD showed that bothBifidobacterium andBacteroides species specifically stimulate proliferation of CD4+TCRαβ+ T cell clones from both sites and that cross reactivity exists between these anaerobic bacteria and different enterobacteria. Analysis of 210 T cell clones isolated from three patients with IBD and two controls showed that indigenous aerobic flora specifically stimulate T cell clones from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens from a foreign subject. Some of these flora specific T cell clones were cross reactive with defined enterobacteria. In addition, T cell clones stimulated by their own indigenous aerobic flora were identified in patients with IBD.CONCLUSION Immune responses to antigens from the intestinal microflora involve a complex network of T cell specificities.IBDinflammatory bowel diseasePCRpolymerase chain reactionBsAbacteria from autologous intestine{\textemdash}that is, sonicates and mononuclear cells from the same subjectBsHbacteria from heterologous intestine{\textemdash}that is, sonicates and mononuclear cells from different subjectsTCRT cell receptor}, issn = {0017-5749}, URL = {https://gut.bmj.com/content/44/6/812}, eprint = {https://gut.bmj.com/content/44/6/812.full.pdf}, journal = {Gut} }