Antigen-Binding Lymphocytes in Normal Man and Guinea Pig to Human Encephalitogenic Protein

Abstract

Lymph nodes and blood from human subjects without neurologic disease, as well as lymph nodes from normal guinea pigs, contain lymphocytes capable of binding radiolabeled encephalitogenic basic protein of human myelin. In man, the number of such cells is comparable to that of cells binding a foreign antigen, radioiodinated flagellin of Salmonella adelaide. These observations lend support to the opinion that “forbidden clones” of lymphocytes, recognizing autoantigens, do exist in apparently normal animals.

Specifically reactive cells in experimental allergic pertussis encephalomyelitis

“…A similar regular increase in the number of early (or active) T-cells in the peripheral blood before the beginning of clinical manifestations of EAE in guinea pigs immunized with myelin BP in Freund's complete adjuvant, and their sudden disappearance from the circulation at the height of the clinical symptoms shortly before death of the animals were revealed by the rosette-formation method [13]; the authors cited were able to show subsequently that these cells left the blood stream to enter the brain as the target organ, in which they formed loci of mononuclear Infiltration [14]. Lymphocytes of normal guinea pigs are known to have on their surface receptors for myelin BP and to be capable of immune differentiation under the influence of BP bound with syngeneic macrophages [9,II,17]. After injection of the encephalitogenic emulsion into animals (except those of lines resistant to EAE) the number of lymphocytes with receptors for myelin BP increased, whereas the participation of antibodies with specificity for BP in the determination of SRC is ruled out [6].…”