title: Use of soluble MHC class II/peptide multimers to detect antigen-specific T cells in human disease.
abstract: Most techniques that identify antigen-specific T cells are dependent on the response of these cells to the relevant antigen in culture. Soluble multimers of MHC molecules, when occupied with the same peptide, will bind selectively to T cells specific for that MHC/peptide complex. Techniques to produce fluorescent MHC class II/peptide multimers have recently been developed. These reagents provide a method to facilitate detection and isolation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells and they represent a new research tool to study these cells in patients with immune-mediated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. jerome.bill@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Jerome R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bill
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kotzin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019281:Dimerization; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010455:Peptides; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell