Use of autoantigen HC gp-39 and proteins structurally related thereto in immunotherapy of autoimmune diseases particularly rheumatoid arthritis

• Main Authors: BOS, EBO SYBREN, VERHEIJDEN, GIJSBERTUS FRANCISCUS MARIA, BOOTS, ANNA MARIA HELENA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.05.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ORMEDICINAL PREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

Disclosed is the use of autoantigen HC gp-39, and substantially pure proteins comprising amino acid sequences which exhibit at least 70 % homology with the amino acid YKLVCYYTSW SQYREGDGSCFPDALDRFLCTHIIYSFANISND (SEQ ID NO:1) in antigen-specific treatment of autoimmune disease induced articular cartilage destruction by inducing systemic tolerance of the immune system. The described autoantigen with the amino acid sequence YKLVCYY TSWSQYREGDGSCFPDALDR-FLCTHIIYSFANISND (SEQ ID NO:1) is also suitable to induce arthritis in animals, preferably mice. The invention furthermore relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said autoantigen and/or said arthritogenic proteins and a diagnostic drug screening method for the detection of autoreactive T cells indicative of rheumatoid arthritis.