[Identification of T cell epitopes of p210(bcr-abl); antigen and detection of epitope-specific CTLs.].
OBJECTIVE
To study the immunogenicity of p210(bcr-abl);, the epitopes of HLA-A2 restricted T cells and the distribution of epitope-specific CTLs in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and in normal controls.


METHODS
Two epitopes, BCR-ABL(642); and BCR-ABL(926m);, were selected using bioinfomatics software and further confirmed by T2 cell binding assay. The soluble HLA-A2 tetramers bound with each epitope were generated to detect the CD8(+); T cell frequencies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.


RESULTS
The epitope-specific CD8(+); T cell frequencies of both BCR-ABL(642); and BCR-ABL(926m); were significantly higher in CML patients, compared with those in healthy individuals(P<0.01), but no significant difference was observed in influenza epitope-specific CTLs between the patients and healthy individuals (P>0.05). The frequency of BCR-ABL(642); peptide-specific CTLs at chronic phase was significantly higher than that at blast phase in CML patients (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The two candidate epitopes selected from p210(bcr-abl); are characterized by their immunogenicity and based on them, vaccines or adoptive CTL therapies can be developed.
Zhang
Jun
J
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Second Affiliated Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.
Wang
Li-Heng
LH
Gong
Wei-Juan
WJ
Qian
Ya-Yun
YY
Jiang
Yang-Wen
YW
Ji
Ming-Chun
MC
D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl