title: Longitudinal study of myelin basic protein-specific T-cell receptors during the course of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: This study analyzed the stability of the myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire during the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) in three patients who were monitored for three years by gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Bulk-culture T-cell lines (TCLs) were generated from 3-4 time points for each patient, including times of active and quiescent disease. TCR analysis of these TCLs indicated that both the V alpha and V beta usage was similar over time for each patient. Sequencing of TCRs demonstrated conserved complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) sequences within TCLs that expressed the same V alpha segment over time, although the J alpha usage was different for each TCR. This indicates that the population of MBP-reactive T-cells is changing during the course of MS, but that host and/or environmental factors may be selecting T-cells with particular MHC/peptide binding domains.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lovett-Racke
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Racke
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Utz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta