Expansion of helper T-cell recognition in mice immunized with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal thyrotropin receptor-specific insert.
We previously reported that immunization with a synthetic peptide of human thyrotropin receptor (TSH-R) expanded humoral autoimmunity to TSH-R (Sugawa H, Ueda Y, Ueda M, Kosugi S, Ichiyama S, Mori T. Immunization with the 'immunogenic Peptide' of TSH receptor induces oligoclonal antibodies with various biological activities. Peptide 1998;19:1303-7.). In the present study, we examined this phenomenon at the T-cell level. Balb/c mice were immunized with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal-specific insert of human TSH-R. Spleen cells were collected and subjected to antigen-specific ELISPOT assay. The number of interleukin 4-secreting cells specific to P354-367 increased within 3 weeks. Cells responding to the other peptides increased 7 weeks after immunization. This phenomenon was not observed in mice immunized with bovine serum albumin alone. During immunization, numbers of interferon-gamma-secreting lymphocytes were not changed significantly. These results indicated that immunization with C-terminal TSH-R-specific insert peptide causes fluctuation in the type 2 helper T-cell population but not type 1 Th cells against the TSH-R, and the recognition repertoire of type 2 helper T cell was expanded by the peptide.
Ueda
M
M
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Sugawa
H
H
Ichiyama
S
S
Mori
T
T
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma