Human T lymphocytes reactive with whole myelin recognize predominantly myelin basic protein.

Human T-cell lines and clones reactive with whole human myelin were isolated from three normal subjects by in vitro sensitization techniques. The CD4+ T-cell lines were maintained in long-term culture by periodic antigen restimulation with myelin and use of interleukin-2. Although myelin basic protein (MBP) represents only about 10% of the dry weight of myelin and the myelin-reactive T-cell populations were never exposed to purified MBP, each of the three cell lines responded to in vitro stimulation with both MBP and whole myelin. Seventeen of 18 T-cell clones derived from the myelin-reactive cell lines also responded to MBP. One myelin-reactive T-cell clone did not recognize MBP or the major myelin lipids but responded to delipidated myelin proteins suggesting that this clone recognized another myelin protein antigen. These results indicate that MBP is the predominant antigen in whole myelin recognized by human T cells under the culture conditions described. However, there is at least one additional protein antigen in myelin that is also immunogenic.