Characterization of the human T cell response against the neuronal protein synapsin in patients with multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 115; no. 1; pp. 176 - 181
• Main Authors: Polak, T., Schlaf, G., Schöll, U., Krome-Cesar, C., Mäder, M., Felgenhauer, K., Weber, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 02.04.2001
• Subjects: Acute Disease; CD3 Complex - biosynthesis; CD4 antigen; CD4 Antigens - biosynthesis; CD8 antigen; Cell Line; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated - immunology; g-Interferon; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-4 - biosynthesis; Lymphotoxin-alpha - biosynthesis; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Myelin basic protein; Myelin Basic Protein - immunology; Synapsin; Synapsins - immunology; T cell line; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Multiple sclerosis; Synapsin; T cell line; Myelin basic protein
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-5728(01)00251-X

Although multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered primarily as a demyelinating disease, neuronal damage is abundant and correlates with the neurological deficit. Therefore, we investigated the frequency and characteristics of human T cells specific for synapsin—a neuronal protein highly conserved among species. Synapsin specific T cell responses were detected at a frequency similar to that of MBP specific T cells in MS patients, one patient with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and controls. Long-term T cell lines specific for synapsin exhibited a CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 − phenotype and produced high amounts of tumor-necrosis-factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) after antigen specific stimulation, whereas lymphotoxin (LT), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detectable in smaller quantities.