Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system mediated by CD4+ T cells reactive with myelin basic protein (MBP). Rats were rendered resistant to the induction of EAE by vaccination with synthetic peptides corresponding to idiotypic determinants of the beta chain VDJ region and J alpha regions of the T cell receptor (TCR) that are conserved among encephalitogenic T cells. These findings demonstrate the utility of TCR peptide vaccination for modulating the activity of autoreactive T cells and represent a general therapeutic approach for T cell-mediated pathogenesis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease affecting the synovial membranes of articulating joints that is thought to result from T-cell-mediated autoimmune phenomena. T cells responsible for the pathogenesis of RA are likely present in that fraction of synovial T cells that expresses the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R), one marker of T-cell activation. We report herein an analysis of T-cell receptor (TCR) beta-chain gene expression by IL-2R-positive synovial T cells. These T cells were isolated from uncultured synovial tissue specimens by using IL-2R-specific monoclonal antibodies and magnetic beads, and TCR beta-chain transcription was analyzed by PCR-catalyzed amplification using a panel of primers specific for the human TCR beta-chain variable region (V beta). Multiple V beta gene families were found to be transcribed in these patients samples; however, three gene families, V beta 3, V beta 14, and V beta 17, were found in a majority of the five synovial samples analyzed, suggesting that T cells bearing these V beta s had been selectively retained in the synovial microenvironment. In many instances, the V beta 3, V beta 14, or V beta 17 repertoires amplified from an individual patient were dominated by a single rearrangement, indicative of clonal expansion in the synovium and supportive of a role for these T cells in RA. Of note is a high sequence similarity between V beta 3, V beta 14, and V beta 17 polypeptides, particularly in the fourth complementarity-determining region (CDR). Given that binding sites for superantigens have been mapped to the CDR4s of TCR beta chains, the synovial localization of T cells bearing V beta s with significant CDR4 homology indicates that V beta-specific T-cell activation by superantigen may play a role in RA.