Widespread Tau-Specific CD4 T Cell Reactivity in the General Population.

ABSTRACT: Tau protein is found to be aggregated and hyperphosphorylated (p-tau) in many neurologic disorders, including Parkinson disease (PD) and related parkinsonisms, Alzheimer disease, traumatic brain injury, and even in normal aging. Although not known to produce autoimmune responses, we hypothesized that the appearance of aggregated tau and p-tau with disease could activate the immune system. We thus compared T cell responses to tau and p-tau-derived peptides between PD patients, age-matched healthy controls, and young healthy controls (<35 y old; who are less likely to have high levels of tau aggregates). All groups exhibited CD4⁺ T cell responses to tau-derived peptides, which were associated with secretion of IFN-γ, IL-5, and/or IL-4. The PD and control participants exhibited a s

SUBMITTER: Lindestam Arlehamn CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6581570 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature