title: Characteristics of the T lymphocytes involved in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Both heterogeneity and restricted heterogeneity of the encephalitogenic myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) were demonstrated in inbred animals depending on the strain-specific genetic characteristics, the stage of the disease, the compartment of the lymphocytes obtained and the methodology used. Nevertheless, the similar features of some MBP-specific TCRs demonstrated across species suggest that conservation of these autoantigen-specific molecules undoubtedly exists, even though the degree of this conservation is controversial. However, the unequivocal heterogeneity of the immune response directed at one of the most important myelin constituents, proteolipid lipoprotein (PLP), which occurs either as a primary or a secondary event during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), indicates the complexity of the in vivo situation. Intramolecular and intermolecular spreading of antigen specificity during the course of the disease indicates that a TCR directed therapy may not be the choice of intervention in established disease even in individual strains of laboratory animals with restricted heterogeneity of the primary MBP-specific response. Studying the sequence of events, the recruited regulatory cells and cytokines, and the stromal factors controlling persistence or death of activated, memory cells in the tissue lesion, may reveal new therapeutic modalities with more universal applicabilities.
authors.affiliation: Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Neurology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Lublin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002999:Clone Cells; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D039041:Integrin alpha4beta1; D016023:Integrins / Q000276:immunology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D039041:Integrin alpha4beta1; D016023:Integrins; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens