Pa. Thompson et al., V-BETA-SPECIFIC IMMUNOTOXIN SELECTIVELY KILLS ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTOR-REACTIVE T-LYMPHOCYTES FROM MICE WITH EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS, International immunology, 6(12), 1994, pp. 1807-1815
Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with purified acetylcholine receptor (ACh
R) is known to induce a T cell-dependent antibody response that result
s in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Since past obse
rvations link V(beta)6(+) T cells with a prominent AChR epitope specif
icity, a V(beta)6-specific immunotoxin (VIT6) was tested in vitro for
its ability to selectively kill monoclonal and polyclonal T cells that
demonstrate reactivity against AChR. Results described below clearly
demonstrate the ability to selectively kill AChR-reactive T cells base
d on their expression of a particular V-beta-associated antigen recept
or.