title: HLA-A2 restricted, melanocyte-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes detected in vitiligo patients are related to disease activity and are predominantly directed against MelanA/MART1.
abstract: Vitiligo is a skin and hair disorder characterized by circumscribed depigmented lesions due to lack of melanocytes in the respective areas. It has been suggested that vitiligo is caused by an autoimmune-mediated destruction of melanocytes. Recently, the presence of a high frequency of skin-homing melanocyte-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with vitiligo was reported. Our study examines the frequency of melanocyte-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitiligo patients and its relationship to disease activity. Thirty-two patients with moderate to active vitiligo and 17 control subjects were included. Melanocyte specific reactive CD8(+) T cells were identified by enzyme-linked immunospot assay after stimulation with five peptides from gp100, four peptides from MelanA/MART1, and two peptides from tyrosinase. In selected patients, intracellular interferon-gamma staining for the detection of specific reactive CD8(+) T cells was additionally performed. In seven of 10 patients (70%) with actively progressive disease CD8(+) T cells directed against melanocyte epitopes were detected, whereas only in four of 22 patients (18%) with moderate disease activity such specific reactivity was found. MelanA/MART1 peptides were immunodominant in nine patients reacting against EAAGIGILTV and three patients reacting against ILTVILGVL. Intracellular interferon-gamma staining confirmed the findings obtained by the enzyme-linked immunospot technique. The present study supports the hypothesis that vitiligo is a cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated autoimmune disease. The presence of melanocyte-specific reactive CD8(+) T cells seems to be closely related to disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell Biology, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Caroli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muhm
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wernet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moris
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schittek
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Knauss-Scherwitz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stevanovic
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rammensee
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C063419:CTAGE1 protein, human; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; C548667:MLANA protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma