T cell response to myelin basic protein epitopes in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy subjects

R Liblau, E Tournier‐Lasserve… - European journal of …, 1991 - Wiley Online Library
R Liblau, E Tournier‐Lasserve, J Maciazek, G Dumas, O Siffert, G Hashim, MA Bach
European journal of immunology, 1991Wiley Online Library
T cell lines and clones specific for human myelin basic protein (BP) were selected from three
multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and two healthy subjects and tested for their proliferative
responses to a battery of synthetic peptides, 9 to 21 amino acid residues long. The
combined amino acid sequence of the peptides spanned the complete sequence of the
human BP. The results suggest the development of T cells sensitized to at least four
independent regions of the human BP, indicating some diversity of the human T cell …
Abstract
T cell lines and clones specific for human myelin basic protein (BP) were selected from three multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and two healthy subjects and tested for their proliferative responses to a battery of synthetic peptides, 9 to 21 amino acid residues long. The combined amino acid sequence of the peptides spanned the complete sequence of the human BP. The results suggest the development of T cells sensitized to at least four independent regions of the human BP, indicating some diversity of the human T cell repertoire to BP. However, an immunodominant T cell epitope was located in the C‐terminal region, defined by residues 149–162. This epitope was recognized by T cells from three subjects out of five (one MS patient and both healthy controls) in the context of different DR specificities. Another epitope (located in the 57–75 region) which triggered one MS patient's T cell response was also recognized by a mycobacteria‐specific T cell clone cross‐reacting with BP.
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