EXPRESSION OF THYROID PEROXIDASE IN EBV-TRANSFORMED B-CELL LINES USING ADENOVIRUS

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is thought to be one of the pathological anti gens in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cell lines (EBVL) can be used for antigen-presenting cells and target cell s of cytotoxic T cells. To develop a model for endogenous TPO presenta tion in EBVL, we constructed a recombinant adenovirus carrying the TPO gene driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter (Ad5-TPO). Enzymatically active human TPO could be expressed in COS cells using Ad5-TPO. the pe roxidase activity of the membrane extract from Ad5-TPO-infected COS ce lls was approximately 6 times higher than that from stably transfected TPO expressing CHO cells. TPO protein expression in the EBVL was anal yzed by Western blotting technique. A band at approximately 110 kDa ch aracteristic of hTPO was detected in EBVL infected with Ad5-TPO. hTPO expression in EBVL induced with adenovirus should facilitate understan ding of T cell immunity to TPO in patients with autoimmune thyroid dis eases.