Quantitation of antigen-specific T-cell-induced demyelination in vitro.
To test the hypothesis that T lymphocytes sensitized to central nervous system (CNS) antigens may quantitatively induce more demyelination in neural tissue than T cells sensitized to non-CNS antigens, we established T cell lines specific for myelin basic protein (MBP) or the purified protein derivative (PPD) of M. tuberculosis. The potential of T cells to cause myelin pathology was determined by measuring the activity of the myelin-associated enzyme 2'-3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) in organotypic cultures of syngeneic spinal cord after incubation with the T cell lines. The activity of CNPase in neural tissue has been shown to correlate positively with the amount and integrity of CNS myelin. Although both MBP- and PPD-specific T cells caused decreases in CNPase activity, the MBP line caused significantly greater and consistent changes. This finding indicates that T cell-mediated CNS demyelination may be comprised of CNS antigen-specific and CNS non-specific components, the former causing more pathology.
D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D014373:Tuberculin; D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases