title: Evidence that a BCR-ABL fusion peptide does not induce lymphocyte proliferation or cytokine production in vitro.
abstract: The BCR-ABL fusion protein is characteristic of chronic myeloid leukaemia and may be an effective tumour-specific antigen. CD8+ T cell responses to BCR-ABL fusion peptides have been reported in normal subjects and CML patients but CD4+ T cell responses have been less well characterised. Here, the 23-mer e14a2 fusion peptide VHSATGFKQSSKALQRPVASDFE has been used to stimulate T cell responses. Most normal subjects and CML patients showed no proliferative responses to this peptide, with stimulation indices not significantly greater than 1.0. Following a second stimulation with the same peptide, small proliferative responses were obtained in normal subjects but not CML patients. These responses were not improved following a third stimulation with 23-mer peptide, nor by using mature autologous dendritic cells to present the peptide. Intracellular interferon-gamma production by CD4+ T cells was also not induced by the 23-mer e14a2 peptide. Hence, this e14a2 peptide does not stimulate CD4+ T cell proliferation in vitro in most normal subjects or CML patients. The precise sequence of amino acids may be critical in defining immunogenicity for CD4+ T cell responses against BCR-ABL peptides.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Hazem M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Abu-Eisha
authors.forename: Nauman M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Christmas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000187:drug effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl