Antibodies against a Class II HLA–Peptide Complex Raised by Active Immunization of Mice with Antigen Mimicking Peptides

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease linked to the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes DRB1*1501, DRB5*0101 and DQB1*0602. T cells reactive towards the DRB1*1501 in complex with various peptides derived from myelin basic protein (MBP), which is the major component of myelin, have been found in the peripheral blood of MS patients. These autoreactive T cells are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of MS. In this article, antibodies against the HLA complex DR2b (DRA1*0101/DRB1*1501) in complex with the MBP-derived peptide MBP_85-99 have been generated by immunization of NMRI mice with three different antigen mimicking peptides displayed on M13 bacteriophages. The peptides mimick the epitope of a monoclonal antibody specific for the DR2b–MBP_85-99 complex. The mice developed IgG antibodies not only against the peptides injected, but they also developed antibodies against the DR2b complex and specific antibodies against the DR2b–MBP_85-99 complex. These data open up the possibility of designing antigen mimicking peptides for vaccination against MS.