PATHOGEN ANTIGEN-REACTIVE AND SUPERANTIGEN-REACTIVE SYNOVIAL-FLUID T-CELLS IN REACTIVE ARTHRITIS

: LAHESMAA R, SODERBERG C, BLISKA J, ALLSUP A, LUUKKAINEN R, STEINMAN L, UCHIYAMA T, PELTZ G

Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC

: 1995

: Journal of Infectious Diseases

: JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

: J INFECT DIS

: 172

: 5

: 1290

: 1297

: 8

: 0022-1899

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/172.5.1290

Analysis of pathogen-reactive T cell clones (CD3(+)4(+)8(-)TCR alpha beta(+)), isolated from the synovial fluid of 2 HLA-B27-positive patients with Yersinia enterocolitica-triggered reactive arthritis, has provided important information about the cellular immune response to this disease-inciting pathogen. This study demonstrates that the proteins secreted by Y. enterocolitica, including a protein with tyrosine phosphatase activity (YopH), are potent immunogens stimulating CD4(+) cells within the inflamed joint. The pathogen-reactive T cell clones preferentially utilized a limited set of T cell receptor variable region gene segments. A purified Yersinia superantigen triggered a proliferative response in most of the antigen-reactive T cell clones tested. These results suggest that the activity of this pathogen's superantigen influences the cellular immune response to its antigens.