title: T cell responses to major membrane protein II (MMP II) of Mycobacterium leprae are restricted by HLA-DR molecules in patients with leprosy.
abstract: Major membrane protein II (MMP II) of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is a 22kDa protein inducing humoral immune response in leprosy patients. MMP II-specific bulk T cell lines were established from leprosy patients to determine major T cell epitopes in MMP II and to evaluate lymphokine production induced by MMP II. These bulk T cell lines reacted to one or more peptides in the locus of amino acid residues from 23 to 109 of MMP II. The proliferative responses of all T cell lines were mainly inhibited by the addition of anti-DRB1 mAb. Many bulk T cell lines induced IFN-gamma, IL-5, but not IL-4. However, it was not possible to distinguish the LL or TT types of leprosy based on the pattern of T cell epitopes and the lymphokine productivity in the responses against MMP II. Thus, it appears that T cell response to MMP II is restricted by the HLA-DRB1 molecule, but not by DQ and DP molecules, which results in the induction of IFN-gamma production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontal Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayam 700-8525, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takashiba
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murayama
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007371:Interferon-gamma