Searching for the Cartilage-associated Mimicry Epitope in Adjuvant Arthritis |
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Authors: | Jolanda HM van Bilsen Josée PA Wagenaar-Hilbers Elmieke PJ Boot Willem van Eden Marca HM Wauben |
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Institution: | Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80165, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is a T cell mediated disease which can be induced in genetically susceptible rats by immunization with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mt ) suspended in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. The critical mycobacterial T cell epitope for the induction of AA was previously identified as residues 178-186 of the mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock protein ( Mt. hsp65 178-186 ). It was suggested that the development of AA was due to molecular mimicry between a mycobacterial epitope and a cartilage-associated self-antigen. However, until now such cartilage-associated mimicry epitope has not been identified. In this study we designed a computer search profile to predict mimicry self-epitopes, and investigated whether one or more of these self-epitopes could serve as mimicry epitopes in AA. Although several of these self-epitopes were recognized by arthritogenic T cells, no cross-reactivity was found between T cells specific for these self-epitopes and Mt. hsp65 178-186 specific T cells. |
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Keywords: | Molecular Mimicry Adjuvant Arthritis T Cell Epitopes Mycobacterium Tuberculosis |
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