title: Vaccination with a MHC class II peptide in Alum and inactive pertussis strongly ameliorates clinical MG in C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: We have investigated the efficacy of immunization against peptides from predisposing MHC class II molecules in human-compatible adjuvants for ameliorating experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). C57BL/6 mice were immunized three times with the peptide I-Abetab62-76 in Alum+killed pertussis organisms (PT) prior to two injections with tAChR. The treatment greatly reduced the occurrence and severity of clinical MG relative to controls that received saline/Alum+PT or none. It also reduced antibody and T-cell responses against tAChR. The results have important implications for the possible immunotherapy of MG by targeting disease-associated MHC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. moshima@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruta
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Deitiker
authors.forename: Dennisr
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mosier
authors.forename: M Zouhair
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Atassi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000917:Antibody Formation; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D014101:Torpedo; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000534:Alum Compounds; D000906:Antibodies; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C041524:aluminum sulfate