Peptide 53-78 of myelin P2 protein is a T cell epitope for the induction of experimental autoimmune neuritis.

We have recently described the clinical and pathological features of experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) in Lewis rats inoculated with varying doses of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the amino acid residues 53-78 of bovine P2 protein (SP-26). Immunization with this synthetic peptide was able to induce severe clinical and pathological characteristics of EAN. We are now reporting that, SP-26 T cell lines derived from spleen and lymph node cell populations of such immunized rats, upon being triggered by SP-26, can adoptively transfer severe clinical and histological signs of EAN to naive syngeneic recipients. The disease appears 7-8 days postinoculation of the cells and persist 5-10 days. The pathological features were indistinguishable from SP-26-induced active EAN which appears 12-15 days after sensitization. Examination of the surface phenotype of the cells that were used for the passive transfer of EAN by FACS analysis, showed majority of the cells to be CD4+, Ia+ cells.