Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE): role of B cell and T cell epitopes in the development of EAE in Lewis rats.

Studies from our laboratory have shown that classical clinical and histological signs of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) may be induced in Lewis rats by synthetic peptides S49 or S55. Peptides S49S and S55S are defined by residues 69-84 and 72-84 of the guinea pig myelin basic protein (MBP), respectively. Peptide S53 (residues 75-84 of the guinea pig MBP), six residues shorter than S49S at the N-terminal end, induced mild clinical signs of disease unaccompanied by hind leg paralysis, incontinence, or central nervous system pathology. In contrast, peptide S67 (residues 69-81 of the guinea pig MBP), three residues shorter than S49S at the C-terminal end, did not induce either clinical or histological signs of EAE despite the fact that the S67-sequence houses an epitope known to induce cell-mediated immunity. Peptides S49S, S55S, and S53 are antigenic and gave rise to antibodies that recognized either of the three peptide sequences. In this report we explore the interrelationship between cellular immunity induced by the S67 sequence and humoral immunity, induced by the S53 sequence and the development of classical clinical and histological signs of EAE. The results show that the nonencephalitogenic sequence of S67 may be rendered encephalitogenic in the presence of antibody directed against the S53 sequence. Lewis rats immunized with S53 developed pathological signs of EAE only after they were challenged with S67. The fact that a simultaneous challenge with S67 and S53 was as effective in inducing EAE pathology as a delayed one (up to 40 days) suggests that the cellular response to S67 is dependent upon the humoral response to S53.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)