Clonally Expanded T-Cells in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Helicobacter pylori Infection

Abstract

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori leads to platelet recovery in some patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Therefore, the pathogenesis of a subgroup of ITP is probably associated with H pylori infection (H pylori-related ITP). If H pylori-related ITP is a definite subgroup of ITP, specific oligoclonal T-cells might accumulate in the peripheral blood (PB). To address this issue, we performed single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of the T-cell receptor beta-chain genes of PB T-cells. Fourteen ITP patients with H pylori infection and 12 ageadjusted healthy volunteers were studied. Of the 14 patients, 8 patients (responders) exhibited a platelet response after successful H pylori eradication therapy, but 6 patients (nonresponders) did not. Vbeta5.2, Vbeta15, and Vbeta19 gene usage by clonally expanded T-cells in PB obtained before H pylori eradication therapy was significantly higher in responders than in nonresponders or healthy volunteers (Vbeta5.2, P = .023; Vbeta15, P = .004; Vbeta19, P = .036). Furthermore, an abrogation of clonally expanded T-cells was observed after therapy in some responders. These findings suggest that specific T-cell clones accumulate in H pylori-related ITP and that such clones may be associated with immune-mediated destruction of platelets.