Isolation of P2 protein--reactive T-cell lines from human blood

Human T-cell lines reactive with the peripheral nerve myelin protein, P2 protein, were isolated from the peripheral blood of 4 normal persons and 1 patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome. These predominantly helper phenotype T-cell lines were isolated and maintained in vitro by antigen stimulation followed by culture with interleukin 2. Myelin basic protein-reactive T cells were also isolated in parallel from the same subjects as antigen specificity controls. T cells recognizing myelin basic protein did not respond to P2 protein, nor did P2-reactive cells respond to myelin basic protein. These findings suggest that a potential for autoimmune reactivity with peripheral nervous system myelin antigens may exist for both normal persons and some patients with neurological disease.