| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
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| Research Abstract |
We analyzed T cell receptor (TCR) on T cells in labial salivary glands from patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and clarified the following results.
1) The repertoire of TCR Vbeta of infiltrating T cells in the labial salivary glands of patients with SS was not restricted ; however, the Vbeta2- and Vbeta13 positive T cells expanded specifically and preferentially in the lips (J.Clin.Invest.89 : 681,1992).
2) TCR Valpha repertoire of infiltrating T cells is rather restricted in the individual patient with SS.The usage of Jalpha gene was relatively limited, suggesting a few epitopes of antigen recognized by autoreactive T cells (J.Rheumatol.21 : 1655,1994).
3) Some infiltrating Vbeta2- and Vbeta13- positive T cells were clonally expanded, indicating the antigen-driven stimulation through the recognition of antigen on MHC.The usage of Jbeta gene was restricted, suggesting that expanded T cells in the lips are not stimulated by superantigens (Arthritis Rheum.35 : 1362,1992 ; Br.J.Rheum.33 : 420,1994).
Moreover, we obtained evidence that Ro/SS-A 52kD reactive T cell lines were detected in labial salivary glands from SS patients at high frequency (25%), suggeting that Ro/SS-A 52kD is a possible autoantigen recognized by autoreactive T cells. Analysis of T cell epitopes on Ro/SS-A 52kD protein showed that there exist at least two different T cell epitopes on AA190-198 and AA197-245 of Ro/SS-A 52kD (J.Rheumatol.22 : 2092,1995).
These findings give to a new specific therapeutic approach to SS via the selective inactivation of auto-reactive T cells by vaccination with analog peptides or anti-TCR antibodies.
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