TY - JOUR KW - Amino Acid Sequence KW - Antibodies, Monoclonal KW - Antigens, Bacterial KW - Epitopes KW - HLA-DR Antigens KW - HLA-DR2 Antigen KW - leprosy KW - Molecular Sequence Data KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Peptides KW - T-Lymphocytes KW - T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer AU - Anderson D C AU - Schooten W C AU - Barry M E AU - Janson A A AU - Buchanan T M AU - Vries R R AB -

Mycobacterium leprae induces T cell reactivity and protective immunity in the majority of exposed individuals, but the minority that develop leprosy exhibit various types of immunopathology. Thus, the definition of epitopes on M. leprae antigens that are recognized by T cells from different individuals might result in the development of an effective vaccine against leprosy. A sequence from the 65-kD protein of this organism was recognized by two HLA-DR2-restricted, M. leprae-specific helper T cell clones that were derived from a tuberculoid leprosy patient. Synthetic peptides were used to define this epitope as Leu-Gln-Ala-Ala-Pro-Ala-Leu-Asp-Lys-Leu. A similar peptide that was derived from the third hypervariable region of the HLA-DR2 chain, Glu-Gln-Ala-Arg-Ala-Ala-Val-Asp-Thr-Tyr, also activated the same clones. The unexpected cross-reactivity of this M. leprae-specific DR2-restricted T cell epitope with a DR2 peptide may have to be considered in the design of subunit vaccines against leprosy.

BT - Science (New York, N.Y.) C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2459778?dopt=Abstract CN - ANDERSON1988 DA - 1988 Oct 14 DO - 10.1126/science.2459778 IS - 4876 J2 - Science LA - eng N2 -

Mycobacterium leprae induces T cell reactivity and protective immunity in the majority of exposed individuals, but the minority that develop leprosy exhibit various types of immunopathology. Thus, the definition of epitopes on M. leprae antigens that are recognized by T cells from different individuals might result in the development of an effective vaccine against leprosy. A sequence from the 65-kD protein of this organism was recognized by two HLA-DR2-restricted, M. leprae-specific helper T cell clones that were derived from a tuberculoid leprosy patient. Synthetic peptides were used to define this epitope as Leu-Gln-Ala-Ala-Pro-Ala-Leu-Asp-Lys-Leu. A similar peptide that was derived from the third hypervariable region of the HLA-DR2 chain, Glu-Gln-Ala-Arg-Ala-Ala-Val-Asp-Thr-Tyr, also activated the same clones. The unexpected cross-reactivity of this M. leprae-specific DR2-restricted T cell epitope with a DR2 peptide may have to be considered in the design of subunit vaccines against leprosy.

PY - 1988 SP - 259 EP - 61 T2 - Science (New York, N.Y.) TI - A Mycobacterium leprae-specific human T cell epitope cross-reactive with an HLA-DR2 peptide. VL - 242 SN - 0036-8075 ER -