Clinical modeling of T cell vaccination against autoimmune diseases in rats. Selection of antigen-specific T cells using a mitogen.

Abstract

Effective T cell vaccination against experimental autoimmune diseases involves treatment with activated, autoimmune T lymphocytes. The present study was undertaken to learn whether antigen-specific T cells present in low frequency could be selected in vitro without using the specific antigen. The rat models of adjuvant arthritis and experimental autoimmune en- cephalomyelitis were investigated using proliferation assays and limiting dilution techniques to quantify the changes in re- activity of a heterogenous population of lymphocytes to the relevant antigen. Stimulation with concanavalin A for 2 d and then culture in IL-2-containing medium led to a substantial increase in the activity and frequency of the specific autoim- mune T cells.