Major peptide autoepitopes for nucleosome-specific T cells of human lupus

We tested 154 peptides spanning the entire length of core histones of nucle osomes for the ability to stimulate an anti-DNA autoantibody-inducing T hel per (TH) clone, as well as CD4(+) T-cell Lines and T cells, in fresh PBMCs from 23 patients with lupus erythematosus. In contrast to normal T cells, l upus T cells responded strongly to certain histone peptides, irrespective o f the patient's disease status. Nucleosomal peptides in histone regions H2B (10-33), H4(16-39) (and overlapping H4(14-28)), H4(71-94), and H3(91-105) ( and overlapping H3(100-114)) were recurrently recognized by CD4 T cells fro m the patients with lupus. Remarkably, these same peptides overlap with maj or epitopes far the TH cells that induce anti-DNA autoantibodies and nephri tis in lupus-prone mice. We localized 2 other recurrent epitopes for human lupus T cells in H2A(34-48) and H4(49-63). All the T-cell autoepitopes have multiple HLA-DR binding motifs, and the epitopes are located in histone re gions recognized by lupus autoantibodies, suggesting a basis for their immu nodominance. Native nucleosomes and their peptides H4(16-39), H4(71-94), an d H3(91-105) induced a stronger IFN-gamma response, whereas others, particu larly, H2A(34-48), favored an IL10- and/or IL-4-positive T-cell response. T he major autoepitopes may reveal the mechanism of autoimmune T-cell expansi on and lead to antigen-specific therapy of human lupus.