Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

OBJECTIVE: To identify T cell epitopes of the human La autoantigen involved in the generation of anti-Ro/La autoantibodies. METHODS: Molecular techniques were used for HLA typing of 219 white patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 125 white patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Anti-Ro/La antibody levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses to an overlapping series of synthetic 15-mer peptides spanning the entire La sequence were examined in pools or individually in conventional 7-day proliferation assays. RESULTS: HLA typing confirmed that the HLA-DR3/DQ2 haplotype is closely associated with the occurrence of anti-Ro/La antibodies, and that the frequency of HLA-DR1 and DR4 haplotypes is reduced among antibody-positive patients. We identified 3 regions of the La sequence likely to contain T cell epitopes and 1 peptide, La 49-63, that generated a low-level but clear-cut T cell proliferative response. The HLA restrictions of these responses mirrored the HLA association data from the cohort study. Among individuals who were HLA-DR3 positive, there was no difference between patients and controls in the proliferative response to the La 49-63 peptide. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that these are naive T cell responses, and that the identification of T cell epitopes involved in the generation of anti-Ro/La autoantibodies should focus on alternative candidate antigens.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/1529-0131(200201)46:1<209::AID-ART10066>3.0.CO;2-1

Type

Journal article

Journal

Arthritis Rheum

Publication Date

01/2002

Volume

46

Pages

209 - 214

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Antibodies, Antinuclear, Autoantigens, Caspases, Cell Division, Epitope Mapping, HLA-DQ Antigens, HLA-DR1 Antigen, HLA-DR4 Antigen, Humans, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic, Molecular Sequence Data, Peptide Fragments, Ribonucleoproteins, Sjogren's Syndrome, T-Lymphocytes