title: Multiclonal synovial T cell response to Yersinia enterocolitica in reactive arthritis: the Yersinia 61-kDa heat-shock protein is not the major target antigen.
abstract: The T cell response to bacterial antigens plays a major role in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis (ReA) following enteric infections with Yersinia enterocolitica. To study the antigen specificity of the T cells at the site of inflammation, the response of cloned T cells from the synovial fluid of 2 patients with ReA to partially purified antigens of Yersinia enterocolitica was determined. The clones showed different patterns of response to various fractions, indicating a multiclonal response to Yersinia antigens, and these specificities differed in the 2 patients. Some T cells were specific for Y. enterocolitica; some cross-reacted with other enterobacteria. Proteins of 14 and 19 kDa could be identified as target antigens for the T cell clones, but no clone could be unequivocally found that reacted with the highly purified Yersinia 61-kDa heat shock protein. Thus, the inflammatory T cell response in the synovial fluid in ReA is multiclonal and not predominantly directed against the bacterial heat shock 61-kDa protein.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, University of Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Meyer zum Büschenfelde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleischer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000276:immunology*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D000091402:Prohibitins; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins