title: Expression of antigen reactive with a monoclonal antibody to HTLV-1 P19 in salivary glands in Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: To examine the possible involvement of retroviruses in Sjögren's syndrome (SS), labial salivary gland sections from 99 individuals were probed with three MoAbs to core (gag) proteins of human T cell leukaemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) and two MoAbs to HIV-1. Sections from 31% of 39 patients with primary SS (pSS) contained an epithelial cytoplasmic protein reactive with a MoAb (197) to the p19 group specific antigen (gag) of HTLV-1. The antigen was also detected in samples from 24% of 17 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and SS, 21% of 14 patients with sicca symptoms and 12.5% of 16 patients with other connective tissue diseases. It was not found in the salivary glands of 13 normal controls. A second MoAb to p19 gag, a MoAb to the p24 gag of HTLV-1 and MoAbs to HIV-1 p17 and p24 gags gave negative reactions. Serum antibodies to HTLV-1 were negative, confirming that the antigen was not part of HTLV-1. The antigen showed properties consistent with an endogenous retrovirus in that it was absent in healthy tissues or resting cells but inducible by stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). It appeared to be distinct from the endogenous retroviral sequence HRES-1. These data suggest the presence of an endogenous retrovirus in salivary gland epithelium which could contribute to the chronic inflammation of SS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, London, UK.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Shattles
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brookes
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Venables
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Maini
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: C075728:197 antigen; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C054858:p17 protein, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1; C060955:p19 protein, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; C060954:p24 protein, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D007371:Interferon-gamma