title: B-cell epitope spreading in autoimmunity.
abstract: How the immune response matures from recognizing a single or a few structures of the antigen to many is an obviously important process. Models of B-cell epitope spreading have been developed in a variety of systems. For example, immunization of animals with PPPGMRPP, one of the earliest B-cell epitopes in the anti-Sm response found in human lupus, leads to antispliceosomal autoimmunity and features of lupus. The humoral immune response spreads from PPPGMRPP to other structures of the spliceosome in an apparently reproducible sequence. B-cell epitope spreading has provided the experimental basis from which a relationship between lupus and Epstein-Barr virus was suspected. An understanding of B-cell epitope spreading is likely to lead to important principles in basic immunology and to answers to human disease problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City 73104, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Harley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000276:immunology; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000276:immunology; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D000939:Epitopes; D009842:Oligopeptides; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins