title: Protective molecular mimicry in experimental myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Protein databases were searched for microbial sequences that bear amino acid similarities with identified T- or B-cell epitopes within the human alpha-subunit of acetylcholine receptor (AChR). One peptide, derived from Haemophilus influenzae, exhibits 50% homology to an identified T-cell epitope of AChR alpha-subunit. This peptide was shown to have a protective effect in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Pretreatment of rats with the mimicry peptide attenuated the induction and progression of EAMG. These effects were accompanied by a reduced T-cell response to AChR, diminished IL-2, IL-12, IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels, as well as decreased humoral response to self-AChR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Sin Hyeog
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barchan
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feferman
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raveh
authors.forename: Miriam C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Souroujon
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic