Bost K L, Hahn B H, Saag M S, Shaw G M, Weigent D A, Blalock J E
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, UAB 35294.
Immunology. 1988 Dec;65(4):611-5.
Studies are presented here which demonstrate that antibodies reacting with human interleukin-2 (IL-2) are present in the sera of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is likely that these antibodies are present due to a homology between the HIV envelope protein and IL-2. The homologues are six amino acids in length corresponding to the carboxy terminus of gp41, Leu-Glu-Arg-Ile-Leu-Leu (LERILL), and residues 14-19 of secreted IL-2, Leu-Glu-His-Leu-Leu-Leu (LEHLLL). Thus, we questioned whether antibodies made against this HIV envelope peptide would cross-react with IL-2. Not only do a high percentage of the HIV-infected individuals tested here have antibodies against LERILL, but these antibodies cross-react with the IL-2 sequence, LEHLLL. Additional antigenic processing of IL-2 is suggested by the finding that epitopes other than this sixmer are also recognized by antibodies in patients' sera. Thus, these studies suggest a mechanism by which infection with HIV can induce a potentially suppressive autoimmune response. Specifically, antibodies against an HIV envelope peptide cross-react with an epitope in IL-2.
本文所展示的研究表明，感染人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）的患者血清中存在与人白细胞介素-2（IL-2）发生反应的抗体。这些抗体的存在很可能是由于HIV包膜蛋白与IL-2之间存在同源性。同源物长度为六个氨基酸，对应于gp41的羧基末端，即亮氨酸-谷氨酸-精氨酸-异亮氨酸-亮氨酸-亮氨酸（LERILL），以及分泌型IL-2的第14至19位残基，即亮氨酸-谷氨酸-组氨酸-亮氨酸-亮氨酸-亮氨酸（LEHLLL）。因此，我们质疑针对这种HIV包膜肽产生的抗体是否会与IL-2发生交叉反应。不仅在这里测试的高比例HIV感染个体具有针对LERILL的抗体，而且这些抗体还与IL-2序列LEHLLL发生交叉反应。患者血清中的抗体还识别除了这个六聚体之外的表位，这一发现提示了IL-2存在额外的抗原加工过程。因此，这些研究提示了一种机制，通过该机制HIV感染可诱导潜在的抑制性自身免疫反应。具体而言，针对HIV包膜肽的抗体与IL-2中的一个表位发生交叉反应。
