[New approaches to the regulation of autoimmune disease].
Recent advancement in immunology has revealed that autoimmune diseases occur when T lymphocytes become activated on recognizing a self-antigen linked to the autologous class II molecule of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The resulting complex of antigen, MHC, and T cell receptor could be a target for treatment of autoimmune disease. This approach is now being studied in animal models. Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis is a T cell mediated autoimmune disease directed against retinal proteins and has been studied as a model for human uveitis. In Lewis rats, uveitogenic peptides and uveitogenic T cell receptor families have been detected. It is a first step toward developing specific immunotherapy. This paper describes a general outline of the steps of T cell activation and ways of suppression of autoimmune diseases by the modulation of these steps, especially in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis.
Kotake
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo-shi, Japan.
Matsuda
H
H
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D012173:Retinitis / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000276:immunology
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell