Immunology cross-reactivity between spinal cord protein and myelin basic protein.
MyelinMyelinbasic protein-induced experimental allergic encephalitis is prevented or suppressed by pretreating guinea pigs with spinal cord protein. Although myelin basic protein and spinal cord protein do not cross-react at the antibody level, significant cross-stimulation was demonstrated in an antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferation assay. The antigen-sensitive cells were characterized as T lymphocytes in that they were immunoglobulin-negative (Ig-ve) and responded to concanavalin A. However, the level of proliferation observed in the Ig-ve population was much greater than that of undepleted cells. This suggested that there existed an immunoblobulin-bearing suppressor cell population. It was unclear whether T or B lymphocytes were responsible for this suppression in that the Ig+ve cells also responded, to some extent, to concanavalin A, indicating the presence of T cells. Nonetheless, these results suggest that a possible mechanism whereby spinal cord protein protects animals against experimental allergic encephalitis is through the induction of a population of suppressor cells which are sensitized to cross-reactive determinants.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000187:drug effects; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D003208:Concanavalin A