Characterization of T cell responses to Hev b 3, an allergen associated with latex allergy in spina bifida patients.

Abstract

The prevalence of type I allergy to Hevea brasiliensis latex is particularly high among individuals with frequent exposure such as health care workers and patients with spina bifida (SB). Due to a birth defect of the spinal canal and the resulting neurological and orthopedic defects, these patients require multiple surgeries during childhood. SB patients display a unique pattern of sensitization: IgE-reactivity is preferentially directed against Hev b 3 and Hev b 1, two latex allergens with high sequence similarity. In this study, we analyzed the T cell response to Hev b 3 in latex-allergic SB patients using poly-, oligo-, and monoclonal T lymphocyte cultures. All T cell clones (TCC) were CD3/CD4-positive and expressed the alphabeta TCR. According to their cytokine production pattern (IL-4 vs IFN-gamma), 12 of 21 TCC were classified as Th2-like, 2 of 21 were Th1-like, and 7 of 21 belonged to a Th0-like subset. Using 11 T cell lines and 21 TCC, nine T cell stimulating fragments were determined out of 52 overlapping 12-mer peptides representing the complete amino acid sequence of Hev b 3. Ag presentation of one dominant T cell epitope could be associated with a four-amino acid binding motif (YSTS, position 11-13) in the beta 1 chain of HLA-DR molecules expressed by the respective patients. No reactivity was observed when Hev b 3-reactive T cell lines or TCC were incubated with peptides representing homologous parts of the Hev b 1 molecule, i.e., no cross-reactivity between Hev b 3 and Hev b 1 at the T cell level was evident.

• Authors: B Bohle, B Wagner, U Vollmann, D Buck, B Niggemann, Z Szépfalusi, G Fischer, O Scheiner, H Breiteneder, C Ebner
• Journal: Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) (J Immunol) Vol. 164 Issue 8 Pg. 4393-8 (Apr 15 2000) ISSN: 0022-1767 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10754340 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Allergens
• Antigens, Plant
• Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
• Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
• Oligopeptides
• Peptide Fragments
• Plant Proteins
• REF protein, Hevea brasiliensis
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Allergens (analysis, immunology, metabolism)
• Amino Acid Sequence
• Antigens, Plant
• Binding Sites, Antibody
• Cell Line
• Clone Cells
• Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte (analysis)
• Histocompatibility Antigens Class II (analysis, biosynthesis)
• Histocompatibility Testing
• Humans
• Immunoblotting
• Immunoglobulin E (metabolism)
• Latex Hypersensitivity (immunology, metabolism)
• Lymphocyte Activation
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Oligopeptides (immunology, metabolism)
• Peptide Fragments (immunology, metabolism)
• Plant Proteins (analysis, immunology, metabolism)
• Spinal Dysraphism (immunology, metabolism)
• T-Lymphocytes (chemistry, immunology, metabolism)