title: A shared antigenic determinant between natural killer cells and nervous tissue.
abstract: Considerable evidence for shared antigenic determinants between nervous elements and lymphocytes has accumulated. It has also been suggested that this cross-recognition may be involved in the pathogenesis of human neurological diseases such as myasthenia gravis and multiple sclerosis. We report here evidence that a marker for natural killer (NK) cells, anti-Leu-7 (HNK-1), specifically binds to components of human and rodent central nervous tissue as well as peripheral nervous tissue, especially to myelin sheaths. In contrast, another NK-cell marker (VEP13) did not react with nervous tissue. Since NK-cell function is impaired in a population of multiple sclerosis patients, the observed cross-reactivity indicates that autosensitization against myelin may simultaneously cause a defect of NK-cell function. Furthermore, the shared antigenic determinant may help to identify a hitherto undefined nervous tissue antigen and simultaneously increase the knowledge about the nature of NK-cell antigens.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000276:immunology*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000276:immunology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes