title: Characterization of antigen-specific T cells in multiple sclerosis twins with elevated proliferative responses to measles virus.
abstract: The proliferative response to measles virus in normal individuals is low compared with the response to mumps virus. This is probably due to a low precursor frequency of OKT4+, IL 2-secreting helper cells. The presence of a measles high-responder state has previously been identified in some twin individuals with multiple sclerosis. Further characterization of the measles response in these high-responder individuals has demonstrated that the enhanced measles responses are due to a greater response by OKT4+ cells, which secrete higher levels of IL 2; this contrasting with the low levels of IL 2 secretion and OKT4+ cell proliferation seen in the unaffected twins. No evidence for suppression by either accessory or T cells, which would account for the quantitative differences between the high responders with multiple sclerosis and their unaffected low-responder twin siblings, was detected. The results indicate that a clonally expanded population of measles-specific responder cells is responsible for the high-responder state in these twins with multiple sclerosis. The mechanism producing this state may have relevance to possible immunoregulatory abnormalities producing autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis.
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014427:Twins
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2