T cells responsive to myelin basic protein in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Neuroscience
• Genetics

Background:

• Gene mutations in human T lymphocytes often occur in dividing cells.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is hypothesized to involve T cells stimulated by autoantigens.
• Identifying specific T cell responses is crucial for understanding MS pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and test T cell clones from MS patients for reactivity to myelin basic protein (MBP).
• To investigate the presence of autoantigen-reactive T cells in the peripheral blood of MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) clonal assay to determine mutant frequency.
• Isolated and cultured T cell clones from MS patients and healthy individuals.
• Assessed T cell clone proliferation in response to human myelin basic protein (MBP).

Main Results:

• Eleven of 258 thioguanine-resistant (hprt-) T cell clones from MS patients proliferated in response to MBP without prior sensitization.
• No wild-type clones from MS patients or any clones from healthy individuals showed reactivity to MBP.
• Demonstrated the presence of MBP-reactive T cell clones in the peripheral blood of MS patients.

Conclusions:

• T cell clones that react specifically with myelin basic protein can be isolated from the peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients.
• These findings support the role of MBP-specific T cells in the autoimmune response in MS.
• The study provides a method for identifying disease-relevant T cell clones in MS.