title: T cell responses to myelin basic protein in patients with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Autoimmune inflammation secondary to myelin destruction may play an inhibitory role in restoration of nerve functions in spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we demonstrated that T cells recognizing myelin basic protein (MBP) occurred at a high precursor frequency in patients with SCI, which was compatible to that in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of presumed autoimmune pathology. The findings suggest of hyperactivity of MBP-reactive T cells in patients with SCI. MBP-reactive T cell lines derived from patients with SCI exhibited a preferential recognition pattern toward the 81-99 and the 151-169 regions of MBP. There were functional differences in the epitope recognition and cytokine profile between two panels of MBP-reactive T cell lines derived from patients with SCI and patients with MS. The study provides new evidence important for further investigation of the role of the inflammatory component in SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Baylor-Methodist Multiple Sclerosis Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kil
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Markowski
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Fuoco
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Vendetti
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma