Expression of the human Vβ8 gene product preferentially correlates with class II major histocompatibility complex restriction specificity

Abstract
We report that, in peripheral blood T cells, the Vβ8 gene product is much more represented on CD4+CD8 than on CD4CD8+ lymphocytes. This skewing was observed in all individuals tested and with two independent strategies, one of which allows the selection of Vβ8+ T cells independently from their major histocompatibility complex‐antigen specificity. Our data imply that the human Vβ8 gene product confers class II restriction specificity and that both the T cell receptor chains and CD4 molecule are involved in the selection of the T cell repertoire.