Measles virus-specific human T cell clones: studies of alloreactivity and antigenic cross-reactivity

Cross-reactivity between altered self and foreign major histocompatibility complex (MHC) may be of etiologic importance in autoimmune disease. We have studied 29 measles virus-specific cloned and uncloned T cell lines from a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) and from a normal subject. Two of the T cell clones derived from the normal subject reacted with foreign MHC determinants. No cross-reactivity between measles virus and either myelin basic protein (BP) or galactocerebroside (GC) was detected. T cell clones which are specific for nominal antigen and which also recognize alloantigen were detected with much smaller frequency than that reported in murine systems. Our data do not support a role for alloreactive measles-specific T cells, nor for cross-reactivity between measles virus and either BP or GC, in the pathogenesis of MS.