T-cell autoreactivity to citrullinated autoantigenic peptides in rheumatoid arthritis patients carrying HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles

Abstract

Proinflammatory cytokines were produced by CD4+ T cells in SE+ individuals in response to citrullinated self-epitopes, of which citrullinated aggrecan was most immunogenic. Our data suggest that the T-cell response to citrullinated self-epitopes matures and diversifies with development of RA.