The JI
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     
 

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Protti, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Conti-Tronconi, B. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Protti, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Conti-Tronconi, B. M.

The Journal of Immunology, Vol 144, Issue 4 1276-1281, Copyright © 1990 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

CD4+ T cell response to the human acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit in myasthenia gravis. A study with synthetic peptides

MP Protti, AA Manfredi, C Straub, JF Howard Jr and BM Conti-Tronconi
Department of Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.

The production of antinicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChR) antibodies in myasthenia gravis (MG) is modulated by specific Th (CD4+) lymphocytes that can recognize epitopes on the denatured AcChR alpha subunit. Thirty-two overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete sequence of human AcChR alpha subunit were used to investigate the anti-alpha subunit response of unselected lymphocytes and of CD8(+)- depleted, CD4(+)-enriched lymphocytes from the blood of nine MG patients and from four healthy controls. One subject was a newly diagnosed MG patient that was tested three times after the development of the disease. An anti-AcChR response of the CD4(+)-enriched cells was present that could be detected only after removal of the CD8+ population and that seems to be related to the clinical conditions of the patient. The high basal rate of the cell proliferation of the unselected unstimulated blood lymphocytes and the normal basal rate observed for the CD8(+)-depleted population suggested the presence of activated CD8+ cells. The study of surface markers of the T cells confirmed the existence of activated CD8+ and CD4+ cells in numbers correlated with the severity of the disease and the results of the in vitro response of the T cells. The anti-AcChR activity of the CD4+ cells in MG may be a useful marker of the activity of the disease and it seems to be influenced by activated CD8+ cells present in the patients' blood.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Immunol.Home page
N. Ostlie, M. Milani, W. Wang, D. Okita, and B. M. Conti-Fine
Absence of IL-4 Facilitates the Development of Chronic Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis in C57BL/6 Mice
J. Immunol., January 1, 2003; 170(1): 604 - 612.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Immunol.Home page
G. Filaci, S. Bacilieri, M. Fravega, M. Monetti, P. Contini, M. Ghio, M. Setti, F. Puppo, and F. Indiveri
Impairment of CD8+ T Suppressor Cell Function in Patients with Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
J. Immunol., May 15, 2001; 166(10): 6452 - 6457.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Website Copyright © 1990 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.
All Contents Copyright © 1990 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.