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.
Wucherpfennig
K W
KW
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Ota
K
K
Endo
N
N
Seidman
J G
JG
Rosenzweig
A
A
Weiner
H L
HL
Hafler
D A
DA
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