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Effects of vaccination with T cell receptor peptides: Epitope switching to a possible disease‐protective determinant of myelin basic protein that is cross‐reactive with a TCR BV peptide
Author(s) -
Vandenbark Arthur A,
Chou Yuan K,
Whitham Ruth,
Bourdette Dennis N,
Offner Halina
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1711.1998.00720.x
Subject(s) - epitope , myelin basic protein , t cell receptor , experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis , t cell , immunology , biology , peptide , cross reactivity , multiple sclerosis , myelin , virology , antigen , immune system , biochemistry , central nervous system , endocrinology , cross reactions
Immunization of Lewis rats with guinea‐pig myelin basic protein (Gp‐MBP) induced T cell responses to primary and secondary encephalitogenic determinants, as well as to a third non‐encephalitogenic epitope, residues 55–69. This sequence is of interest due to its protective activity against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Protection involved induction of MBP‐55–69‐specific T cells expressing cross‐reactive TCR BV8S6 genes that activated regulatory T cells specific for TCR BV8S2 determinants expressed on encephalitogenic T cells. We here present and discuss new evidence suggesting a possible immunological cross‐reactivity between the protective Gp‐MBP‐55–69 peptide and the regulatory BV8S2‐39–59 peptide. This cross‐reactivity, which may also occur between the human MBP‐55–74 peptide and the BV12S2‐38–58 sequence, has potentially important implications for human diseases such as multiple sclerosis.