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Current Molecular Medicine

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1566-5240
ISSN (Online): 1875-5666

The Recognition of Abnormal Forms of HLA-B27 by CD4+ T Cells

Author(s): Louise H. Boyle, Jane C. Goodall and J. S. Hill Gaston

Volume 4, Issue 1, 2004

Page: [51 - 58] Pages: 8

DOI: 10.2174/1566524043479257

Price: $65

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Abstract

The MHC class I molecule, HLA-B27 can be expressed as a number of non-conventional forms, in addition to conventional HLA-B27 heterodimers presenting peptide. This has lead to new avenues of research to explain the association of this molecule with SpA. Surprisingly, HLA-B27 transgenic animal models implicated CD4+ T cells, which conventionally interact with MHC class II molecules, not MHC class I molecules, in the pathogenesis of SpA. One hypothesis to explain these finding is that non-conventional forms of HLA-B27, specifically HLA-B27 homodimers, might mimic MHC class II molecules and be recognised by CD4+ T cells. We investigated whether CD4+ T cells from AS patients can interact with HLA-B27, discovering that indeed CD4+ T cells can interact with various forms of HLA-B27. Here we discuss how such interactions between HLA-B27 and CD4+ T cells could occur in vivo and potential contributions of such interactions to the pathogenesis of SpA.

Keywords: HLA-B27, hypothesis, homodimers, T cells


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