title: Induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats and immune response to myelin basic protein in lipid-bound form.
abstract: Encephalitogenic activity of myelin basic protein (MBP) isolated in a form retaining binding to all myelin lipids was tested in Lewis rats. Immunization with this new stable lipid-bound and native-like preparation (LB-MBP), induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as intensively as the classical lipid free MBP (LF-MBP). During the course of the disease, high affinity specific response to LB-MBP and high frequency of LB-MBP specific precursors was observed in peripheral lymphoid organs, indicating that the disease occurred in presence of anti LB-MBP specific T-cell responsivity. Short term lines, generated from lymphocytes collected at the onset of the disease from LB-MBP immunized rats, showed a strong dose-dependent response to LB-MBP, but not to LF-MBP. The present data indicate that in rat, LB-MBP maintains encephalitogenic activity and induces expansion of a specific T-cell population. These data suggest also that LB-MBP is a new autoantigen that may be relevant in human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massacesi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vergelli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zehetbauer
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Liuzzi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olivotto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballerini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uccelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mancardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amaducci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein