New T-cell epitope of Ro/SS-A 52 kDa protein in labial salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Abstract

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by lymphocytic infiltration into the lacrimal and salivary glands leading to dry eyes and mouth. Infiltration is also found in the kidneys, lungs, thyroid, and liver. Immunohistochemical studies have shown that most infiltrating lymphocytes around the labial salivary and lacrimal glands, and kidney are CD4 positive aβ T cells. Recent studies with PCR 1 Sumida T Yonaha F Maeda T et al. T cell receptor repertoire of infiltrating T cells in lips of Sjogren's syndrome patients. J Clin Invest. 1992; 89: 681-685 Crossref PubMed Scopus (139) Google Scholar , 2 Yonaha F Sumida T Maeda T Tomioka H Koike T Yoshida S Restricted junctional usage of T cell receptor Vβ2 and VP13 genes, which are overrepresented on infiltrating T cells in the lips of patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. 1992; 35: 1362-1367 Crossref PubMed Scopus (50) Google Scholar , 3 Murata H Kita Y Sakamoto A et al. Limited T cell repertoire of infiltrating T cells in the kidneys of Sjogren's syndrome patients with interstitial nephritis. J Immunol. 1995; 155: 4084-4089 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Matsumoto I Tsubota K Satake Y et al. Common T cell receptor clonotype in lacrimal glands and labial salivary glands from patients with Sjogren's syndrome. J Clin Invest. 1996; 97: 1969-1977 Crossref PubMed Scopus (88) Google Scholar provide evidence about the TRC Vji and Va genes on these T cells. Sequence analysis of the CDR3 region indicates some conserved aminoacid motifs, supporting the notion that infiltrating T cells recognise relatively few epitopes on autoantigens.