Selective expansion of T cells expressing V beta 2 in peanut allergy.
Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal and near-fatal food-induced anaphylaxis. The immune basis for susceptibility to peanut allergy is poorly understood. The current study examined the possibility that patients with peanut allergy, as compared to normals, use different T cell receptor variable beta regions (V beta) in the recognition of peanuts. The results demonstrate that stimulation of T cells from patients with peanut allergy results in the selective expansion of V beta 2+ T cells.