SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION OF RETROCOCHLEAR HEARING-LOSS IN MURINE EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS WITH T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA-8-SPECIFIC ANTIBODY

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is an animal model of a T cell -mediated autoimmune disease - for example, multiple sclerosis. We dem onstrated that mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis devel oped retrocochlear hearing loss, and that the lesion of the auditory p athway might be related to T cell receptor V beta 8-expressing T cells . To investigate whether anti-V beta 8 antibody could prevent hearing loss, we carried out brain stem auditory evoked potential testing, his tologic examinations, and flow cytometry in antibody-treated and contr ol myelin basic protein-immunized B10.PL mice. The antibody was admini stered just before immunization of myelin basic protein. The disease i ncidence and severity were significantly reduced in the mice injected with the antibody. The results of brain stem auditory evoked potential testing, histologic examinations, and flow cytometry indicated that t he depletion of V beta 8-expressing T cells brings the prevention of h earing loss, as well as prevention of other neurologic deficits. The d evelopment of T cell receptor-specific antibody therapy might help tre at retrocochlear hearing loss in multiple sclerosis.