Identification of type II collagen peptide 261-273-specific T cell clones in a patient with relapsing polychondritis.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize and clone T cells specific for type II collagen (CII) in a patient with relapsing polychondritis (RP) and to establish whether the immunodominant epitope of CII determined in HLA transgenic mice is used in the human autoimmune response to CII.


METHODS
T cell responses to CII were examined in a patient with RP, who was heterozygous for the HLA-DR allele DRB1*0101/DRB1*0401. T cell clones were established from this patient and characterized for peptide specificity, class II restriction, cytokine production, and staining with HLA-DRB1*0401 class II tetramers.


RESULTS
A response to CII and the peptide 255-273 was present in this patient. T cells specific for the CII epitope 261-273 were cloned. Evaluation of these clones demonstrated a response to CII 261-273 in the context of both DR alleles. HLA-DR4 CII tetramer did not demonstrate staining of either CII-specific DRB1*0401-restricted T cell clones or a polyclonal population of CII-reactive T cells from this individual.


CONCLUSIONS
T cells directed against CII were present in this patient with RP. Also, T cell clones isolated from this individual were found to be specific for the CII peptide 261-273 and were restricted to either the DRB1*0101 or the DRB1*0401 allele. These findings establish that a T cell response directed against CII is present in this patient with RP and that the CII peptide 261-273 plays a role in the human immune response to CII.
Buckner
Jane H
JH
Virginia Mason Research Center, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. Jbuckner@vmresearch.org
Van Landeghen
Megan
M
Kwok
William W
WW
Tsarknaridis
Laura
L
D000328:Adult; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000276:immunology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D024043:Collagen Type II; D000939:Epitopes; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C553505:HLA-DRB1*04:01 antigen; D010446:Peptide Fragments