Multiple sclerosis: occurrence of myelin basic protein peptide-reactive T cells in healthy family members

Genetic factors influence the susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). This disease is accompanied by augmented T cell responses to CNS myelin components such as myelin basic protein. To evaluate the familial occurrence of such T cell autoreactivity, we have studied 12 MS families including 37 healthy first-degree relatives for occurrence of numbers of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secreting cells among blood mononuclear after culture in presence of myelin basic protein (MBP), eight synthetic MBP peptides and the control antigen acetylcholine receptor (AChR). There were no differences between MS patients and healthy family members regarding frequencies of autoreactive T cells recognizing MBP, the eight different MBP peptides or AChR. None of the MBP peptides predominated as T cell antigen among the MS patients or their unaffected family members. In some families the highest number of MBP peptide reactive T cells were found among unaffected family members. No correlation was observed between numbers of MBP or MBP peptide reactive T cells in various subjects and their HLA-DR-DQ phenotypes. In conclusion, this study has revealed the presence of MBP and MBP peptide reactive T cells of similar frequencies in MS patients and their healthy family members.