Competitive dissociation of encephalitogenic complexes between antigen presenting cells and myelin basic protein

Splenic T cells from myelin basic protein (MBP)-immunised Lewis rats were activated to transfer experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by co-culture with MBP-pulsed lymphoid dendritic cells (DC). MBP-pulsed DC could be kept for at least 24 h at 37 degrees C in antigen-free medium without affecting their ability subsequently to activate encephalitogenic T cells. However, MBP-pulsed DC were rendered much less stimulatory after a 6 h, but not 2 h, secondary incubation with ovalbumin. Thus, although encephalitogenic complexes between MBP and DC appear very stable in the absence of competing antigens, in their presence, antigen exchange can take place over a period of a few hours; this has positive implications for therapy of EAE by antigen competition.