title: Identification of Ro(SSA) 52 kDa reactive T cells in labial salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the self-antigens recognized by autoreactive T cells in labial salivary glands from patients with Sjõgren's syndrome (SS).
  
  
  METHODS
  T cells lines were established from infiltrating T cells in the labial salivary glands from 6 patients with SS, using interleukin 2 and phytohemagglutinin. Bulk cultured T cells and T cell lines were examined for the proliferative response to recombinant Ro(SSA) 52 kDa and SSB proteins. The usage of T cell receptor (TCR) V beta and V alpha genes from Ro(SSA) 52kDa reactive T cells was analyzed by family polymerase chain reaction. The sequences of complementary determining region 3 of TCR V beta genes were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of 6 bulk cultured T cells and 4 of 16 T cell lines showed a significant proliferative response to Ro(SSA) 52 kDa protein. All T cell lines represented CD4+ alpha beta T cells by flow cytometry analysis. All 4 RO(SSA) 52 kDa reactive T cell lines utilized the V beta 2 gene and 3 lines used the V beta 13 gene, suggesting preferential usage of the V beta 2 and the V beta 13 genes in Ro(SSA) 52 kDa reactive T cells. Junctional sequences of TCR V beta genes from Ro(SSA) 52 kDa reactive T cell lines showed the conserved amino acid sequences in CDR3 region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the notion that Ro(SSA) 52 kDa is a possible autoantigen recognized by autoreactive T cells and that limited epitope is present on the Ro(SSA) 52 kDa antigen.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namekawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumida
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015335:Molecular Probes; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen; C116006:RO60 protein, human