| Abstract | Infectious agents in the eye induce both a local and a systemic humoral immune response. Previously, differences in Ag recognition were observed between systemic and ocular derived IgG of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis. This finding implied a nonrandom distribution of IgG-producing B cells in the inflamed eye. In the present study, we compared the intraocular and systemic B cell responses of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis to a single Toxoplasma gondii Ag. Two series of C-terminally deleted recombinant T. gondii GRA-2 proteins were constructed to delineate IgG B cell epitopes of paired ocular and serum samples. Differences in epitope region recognition between the ocular and systemic compartment were detected in 9 of 13 patients. The difference in distribution of GRA-2 epitopes between paired samples is indicative of a local GRA-2 specific B cell population functionally different from the systemic GRA-2-specific B cell population. Our results suggest a selective activation of a subset of B cells locally in nonlymphoid tissue. |
| Authors | V N Klaren, R Peek
(Affiliation: Department of Molecular Immunology, The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. v.klaren at ioi.knaw.nl)
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| Journal | Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
(J Immunol)
Vol. 167
Issue 11
Pg. 6263-9
(Dec 1 2001)
ISSN: 0022-1767 United States |
| PMID | 11714789
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
|
| Chemical References |
- Antigens, Protozoan
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
- Gra2 protein, Toxoplasma gondii
- Immunodominant Epitopes
- Immunoglobulin G
- Peptide Fragments
- Protozoan Proteins
|
| Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Antibody Specificity
- Antigen-Antibody Reactions
- Antigens, Protozoan
(analysis, immunology)
- B-Lymphocyte Subsets
(immunology, metabolism)
- B-Lymphocytes
(immunology, metabolism)
- Epitope Mapping
(methods)
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
(analysis, immunology)
- Female
- Humans
- Immunodominant Epitopes
(analysis, immunology)
- Immunoglobulin G
(biosynthesis)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Peptide Fragments
(analysis, immunology)
- Protozoan Proteins
(analysis, immunology)
- Toxoplasmosis, Ocular
(immunology)
|
