The mycobacterial 65 kD heat-shock protein and autoimmune arthritis.
Arthritis - induced experimentally in rats by immunization with mycobacteria has been shown to depend on specific T cell recognition of an epitope present on the mycobacterial 65-kD heat-shock protein. This particular epitope has been observed to have a structural mimicry with a cartilage-associated molecule present in the joints. Since the bacterial heat-shock proteins and the cartilage-associated molecules are of a conserved nature, one might infer from the experimental model that in humans similar mimicry could play a role in the initiation of autoimmune arthritis. Recent findings from the analysis of immunological reactivity to the 65-kD in rheumatoid arthritis patients seem to support such a role for the mycobacterial 65-kD heat-shock protein in human disease.
van Eden
W
W
Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Hogervorst
E J
EJ
van der Zee
R
R
van Embden
J D
JD
Hensen
E J
EJ
Cohen
I R
IR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000276:immunology*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology
D000939:Epitopes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell