Absence of peripheral blood T cell responses to 'shared epitope' containing peptides in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives - To determine if peptides containing the 'shared epitope' sequence, QKRAA, from either endogenous, HLA-DRβ1(0401), or exogenous, Escherichia coli dnaJ, sources activate T cells in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods - Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferative and whole blood cytokine responses to shared epitope containing peptides from DRβ1(0401) and E coil dnaJ, to control peptides from DRβ1(0402) and hsp40 and to the recall antigen, tetanus toxoid, were tested in 20 untreated, recent onset RA subjects, 20 HLA, age, and sex matched healthy controls and 18 other subjects with inflammatory arthritis. PBMC proliferative responses to a second E coli dnaJ pep..