Shared human T cell receptor V beta usage to immunodominant regions of myelin basic protein.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) may be an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells specific for a myelin protein. Investigations have demonstrated myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactive T cells that were activated in vivo in MS patients, suggesting that MBP may be a target antigen in MS. The variable (V) region of the T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain was examined among 83 T cell lines from both MS patients and healthy subjects that were reactive with the immunodominant region of human MBP (residues 84 to 102) or with a second immunodominant region of MBP (143 to 168). V beta 17 and to a lesser extent V beta 12 were frequently used in recognition of MBP(84-102) among different individuals. In contrast, V beta 17 was very infrequent among lines reactive with MBP (143-168). These data demonstrate shared TCR V beta gene usage for the recognition of immunodominant regions of the human autoantigen MBP. Such TCR structures may be used as targets for specific immunotherapy in MS.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
K W
KW
Wucherpfennig
K
K
Ota
N
N
Endo
J G
JG
Seidman
A
A
Rosenzweig
H L
HL
Weiner
D A
DA
Hafler
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D000939:Epitopes; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta