Identification of the Yersinia enterocolitica urease beta subunit as a target antigen for human synovial T lymphocytes in reactive arthritis.
The local T-cell response to bacterial antigens is involved in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis (ReA). Here, we have identified a 19-kDa antigen of Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 recognized by Yersinia-specific synovial fluid CD4+ T cells in two patients with Yersinia-induced ReA. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of this protein revealed that it was identical to the 19-kDa urease beta subunit of Y. enterocolitica O:9. This protein has previously been shown to be arthritogenic in preimmunized rats after intra-articular injection. Analysis of the T-cell response to this protein showed that it contains several T-cell epitopes, one of which cross-reacts with other enterobacteria not able to induce ReA. This indicates that the arthritogenicity of the 19-kDa antigen is not a property of the 19-kDa protein alone but is dependent on its expression in bacteria able to induce ReA.
Probst
P
P
First Department of Medicine, University of Mainz, Germany.
Hermann
E
E
Meyer zum Büschenfelde
K H
KH
Fleischer
B
B
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001168:Arthritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000091402:Prohibitins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014510:Urease / Q000276:immunology*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins; D014510:Urease