T-CELL RESPONSE TO MYELIN BASIC-PROTEIN AND LIPID-BOUND MYELIN BASIC-PROTEIN IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS AND HEALTHY DONORS

An autoimmune T-cell response to myelin proteins is thought to be invo lved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin basic p rotein (MBP) is the most widely studied potential target antigen. We i nvestigated the T-cell response to MBP in MS patients and controls usi ng two different molecular forms of the protein: the classical hydroph ilic MBP (lipid-free MBP, LF-MBP) and a lipid-bound. native-like prepa ration of MBP isolated in a molecular form retaining the binding to al l myelin lipids (lipid-bound-MBP, LB-MBP), Short term T-cell lines (TC L) were generated using either LF-or LB-MBP and tested for their react ivity to the in vitro stimulating antigen. No differences were detecte d between MS patients and healthy donors in tile percentage of T-cell cultures responsive to the LF-MBP. In contrast, the number of LB-MBP r eactive cultures was higher in MS patients than in controls. This diff erence was almost entirely due to the presence of high numbers of LB-M BP-specific TCL in MS patients which did not cross-react with LF-MBP a nd were not present in healthy subjects. LB-MBP may represent a novel antigen worth to be investigated in MS. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.