@article{2576,
  keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, Bacterial Proteins, HLA-DR Antigens, Humans, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-5, leprosy, Molecular Sequence Data, Mycobacterium leprae, T-Lymphocytes},
  author = {Ohyama H and Matsushita S and Nishimura F and Kato N and Hatano K and Takashiba S and Murayama Y},
  title = {T cell responses to major membrane protein II (MMP II) of Mycobacterium leprae are restricted by HLA-DR molecules in patients with leprosy.},
  abstract = {<p>Major membrane protein II (MMP II) of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is a 22kDa protein inducing humoral immune response in leprosy patients. MMP II-specific bulk T cell lines were established from leprosy patients to determine major T cell epitopes in MMP II and to evaluate lymphokine production induced by MMP II. These bulk T cell lines reacted to one or more peptides in the locus of amino acid residues from 23 to 109 of MMP II. The proliferative responses of all T cell lines were mainly inhibited by the addition of anti-DRB1 mAb. Many bulk T cell lines induced IFN-gamma, IL-5, but not IL-4. However, it was not possible to distinguish the LL or TT types of leprosy based on the pattern of T cell epitopes and the lymphokine productivity in the responses against MMP II. Thus, it appears that T cell response to MMP II is restricted by the HLA-DRB1 molecule, but not by DQ and DP molecules, which results in the induction of IFN-gamma production.</p>},
  year = {2001},
  journal = {Vaccine},
  volume = {20},
  pages = {475-82},
  month = {2001 Nov 12},
  issn = {0264-410X},
  doi = {10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00354-1},
  language = {eng},
}