Fig. 2

The results of a multiplex PCR assay for CDR3 length in a normal individual

Peripheral blood CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells were analyzed separately in lanes labeled with “4” or “8”, respectively. Twelve primer reaction sets A–L were used for the PCR reactions, containing mixtures of TCRBV specific primers as described in Table 1. The TCRBV families in each set appear on the gel from bottom to top. Note that a single dominant band appears in the CD8⁺ T cells for TCRBV3, 5S1, 7, 15, and 21. In addition, two or more dominant bands are observed in the TCRBV6 and BV10 PCR products, again only in the CD8 population. Specific criteria are used for analyzing these gels, as described in the text.