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Bacterial toxin superantigens activate human T lymphocytes reactive with myelin autoantigens
Author(s) -
Burns James,
Littlefield Kim,
Gill Januaryice,
Trotter John L.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410320308
Subject(s) - myelin , superantigen , myelin basic protein , proteolipid protein 1 , biology , antigen , cytotoxic t cell , t cell , immunology , t cell receptor , myelin proteolipid protein , toxin , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , in vitro , biochemistry , central nervous system , neuroscience
Some bacteria that are common human pathogens produce protein toxins that are potent activators of human T lymphocytes expressing certain types of T‐cell receptors. In this study we examined the ability of staphylococcal toxins to stimulate human T lymphocytes that also recognized the myelin autoantigens myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein. T‐cell populations responding to myelin basic protein or proteolipid protein were isolated from 4 subjects including 1 individual with multiple sclerosis. All myelin antigen‐specific T cells responded in proliferation studies to at least one of the nine superantigenic toxins used in this study. The superantigenic toxins were up to 7 × 10 5 ‐fold more potent in proliferation assays than the myelin antigens to which the T cells were initially sensitized. In addition, cytotoxic, myelin basic protein‐reactive T lymphocytes lysed antigen‐presenting cells incubated with superantigenic toxins. These findings demonstrate a mechanism by which some bacterial infections might produce activation of myelin basic protein‐ and proteolipid protein‐reactive T lymphocytes and perhaps contribute to demyelinating disease in humans.