title: Influence of the rheumatoid arthritis-associated shared epitope on T-cell receptor repertoire formation.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with several human leukocyte antigen DRB1 types that express a common five-amino acid sequence called the shared epitope. Here we show that the human leukocyte antigen DRB1 shared epitope expands naive T lymphocytes that express the same T-cell-receptor variable region-joining region combinations that are prevalent in the synovia of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thus, the shared epitope could affect rheumatoid arthritis disease susceptibility by selecting in the premorbid state specific T-cell subsets that contribute to synovial inflammation.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohsaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nanki
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Ollier
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Carson
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta