The correlation between ovomucoid-derived peptides, human leucocyte antigen class II molecules and T cell receptor-complementarity determining region 3 compositions in patients with egg-white allergy.
BACKGROUND
Food allergies are more prevalent in children, due to the immature gastrointestinal epithelial membrane barrier allowing more proteins through the barrier and into circulation. Ovomucoid (OM) is one of the major allergens that is found in egg white.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine T cell epitopes, antigen-presenting human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules of the T cell lines (TCLs) and T cell clones (TCCs), and complementarity determining region (CDR) 3 loops of the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta chains of the TCCs specific to OM.


METHODS
We established TCLs and TCCs specific to OM from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of four atopic patients with egg-white allergy using a mixture of a panel of overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequence of the entire OM. We identified the T cell epitopes by antigen-induced proliferative responses, antigen-presenting molecules using allogeneic PBMCs and CDR3 loops of the TCR alpha and beta chains by cloning and sequence analysis.


RESULTS
The TCLs and TCCs responded to seven different peptides, and their antigen-presenting molecules were different from each other. Sequence analysis of the TCR alpha and beta gene usage of the TCCs showed marked heterogeneity, and the usage of the CDR3 loop of the TCCs involved heterogenous amino acid residues. Interestingly, TCCs 'IH3.3' and 'YT6.1' recognized the same OM peptides, and had the same TCR Vbeta-Jbeta gene usage. Considering that peptide motifs bind to HLA class II molecules, the electrically charged residue (positive or negative) on the CDR3alpha and the CDR3beta loops of TCR of TCC may form ionic bonds with a charged residue on the HLA class II molecules-peptide complex.


CONCLUSIONS
TCCs that have the same TCR gene usage were established from patients who had shown similar hypersensitivity-type, indicating that antigen recognition by a specific TCR is closely associated with the characteristics of each patient's symptoms.
Department of Pediatrics, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gify, Japan. e2104009@guedu.cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
K
K
Suzuki
R
R
Inoue
H
H
Sakaguchi
M
M
Aoki
Z
Z
Kato
H
H
Kaneko
S
S
Matsushita
N
N
Kondo
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001483:Base Sequence; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010059:Ovomucin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D010059:Ovomucin