title: T-cell epitopes on the human acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit residues 10-84 in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: In myasthenia gravis the production of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies is modulated by acetylcholine receptor-specific T cells. Most B- and T-cell epitopes are located on the alpha-subunit of the receptor. In order to map the fine specificity of the antigen-specific T cells in myasthenia gravis, T-cell stimulation in response to 70 hexapeptides was studied in 24 patients and 24 healthy individuals. The hexapeptides overlapped with one amino acid and represented residues 10-84 of the NH2-terminal part of the alpha-subunit of the receptor. The IFN-gamma secretion from single T cells was used to detect T-cell stimulation. A significant difference in the T-cell response to several of the peptides was found between patients and healthy controls. The majority of the hexapeptides induced T-cell stimulation in at least one of the patients. Peptide-induced T-cell stimulation was evident in all but one of the patients. The results indicate that different epitopes and multiple T-cell clones are involved in the T-cell recognition of the acetylcholine receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahlberg
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pirskanen
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lefvert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D007371:Interferon-gamma