title: Effects of vaccination with T cell receptor peptides: epitope switching to a possible disease-protective determinant of myelin basic protein that is cross-reactive with a TCR BV peptide.
abstract: Immunization of Lewis rats with guinea-pig myelin basic protein (Gp-MBP) induced T cell responses to primary and secondary encephalitogenic determinants, as well as to a third non-encephalitogenic epitope, residues 55-69. This sequence is of interest due to its protective activity against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Protection involved induction of MBP-55-69-specific T cells expressing cross-reactive TCR BV8S6 genes that activated regulatory T cells specific for TCR BV8S2 determinants expressed on encephalitogenic T cells. We here present and discuss new evidence suggesting a possible immunological cross-reactivity between the protective Gp-MBP-55-69 peptide and the regulatory BV8S2-39-59 peptide. This cross-reactivity, which may also occur between the human MBP-55-74 peptide and the BV12S2-38-58 sequence, has potentially important implications for human diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR 97201, USA. vandenbark.arthur_a@portland.va.gov
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vandenbark
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whitham
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Bourdette
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Offner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta