[Antigen presentation by T cells and inducing anergy]

Antigen presentation and its recognition are important processes of immune reactions, mediated by major histocompatibility complex antigens (MHC) and T cell receptors (TCR), that occur between antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T cells. In our previous study on T cell epitopes of human myelin basic protein (MBP), we found that activated T cells with MHC class II antigens can present MBP peptide antigens to MBP reactive T cells in the absence of traditional APCs. However, T cells stimulated by T cell APCs showed no growth response in the next stimulation by T cell APCs or traditional APCs, suggesting the induction of T cell anergy. The results implied that antigen presentation by T cell APCs might play an important rule in T cell immune responses.