THE PATHOGENIC ROLE OF ACETYLCHOLINE-RECEPTOR ALPHA-CHAIN EPITOPE WITHIN ALPHA-146-162 IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS IN C57BL6 MICE

One of the dominant T cell epitopes in the acetylcholine receptor (ACh R) alpha chain lies within the region 146-162 and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG ) in C57BL6 (B6) mice. To directly examine the pathogenic potential of alpha 146-162 in EAMG, B6 mice were primed with AChR in complete Freu nds adjuvant (CFA) and subsequently boosted twice with either alpha 14 6-162 or a control peptide in CFA. Seventy percent of the mice boosted with alpha 146-162 developed muscle weakness characteristic of EAMG, while none of the mice boosted with the control peptide showed any cli nical signs of the disease. Thus, the data provided evidence for epito pe within AChR alpha 146-162 as one of the EAMG-inducing pathogenic ep itopes in B6 mice. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.