T cell responses to a human cartilage autoantigen in the context of rheumatoid arthritis–associated and nonassociated HLA–DR4 alleles

Abstract

T cell epitopes of HCgp-39 that were defined in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice stimulated T cells from human subjects carrying RA-associated HLA-DR4 alleles. HLA-DR4 molecules may influence the disease process in RA both by presentation of selected peptide epitopes and by promoting the production of proinflammatory cytokines in synovial joints.