Identification of CD4 T-cell epitopes in soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas autoantigen in autoimmune hepatitis.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease associated with autoantibodies and liver-infiltrating lymphocytes. Although autoantibodies are tested routinely to diagnose and classify AIH, liver-infiltrating lymphocytes are regarded as the primary factor for disease pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize autoantigenic peptides within human AIH-specific soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas antigen (SLA/LP) that are targeted by CD4(+) T cells and restricted by the disease susceptibility gene HLA-DRB1*0301.

Methods

HLA-DRB1*0301 transgenic mice were immunized with SLA/LP. Antibody and T-cell responses were analyzed with SLA/LP-overlapping peptides in enzyme immunoassay, proliferation, and enzyme-linked immu

SUBMITTER: Mix H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2708941 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature