摘要
Background: Identification of critical autoantigenic T-cell epitopes is key to developing antigen-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis. Our previous work demonstrated that 3 peptides on keratin 17 are able to stimulate peripheral blood lymphocytes of HLA-DRB1 07-positive patients with psoriasis and to serve as immunodominant T cell epitopes. Objective: We sought to determine antagonistic altered peptide ligands to psoriatic T cells with a down-modulatory effect in inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation. Methods: Psoriatic altered peptide ligands were generated by single alanine residue substitutions at a critical T-cell receptor contact residue position. Antagonistic altered peptide ligands were identified by suppression screening of psoriatic T-cell activation and keratinocyte proliferation. Results: Altered peptide ligands 119R and 355L can inhibit psoriatic T-cell activation more effectively than other altered peptide ligands, especially 355L, with inhibition of T-cell proliferation and the secretion of interferon gamma and interleukin 2 in parallel with the upregulation of interleukins 4 and 10 as well as transforming growth factor-β . In coincubation assay, altered peptide ligands 119R and 355L can down-regulate the function of psoriatic T cells more effectively than wild-type epitopes solely, but less effectively than altered peptide ligands solely. In prepulse assay altered peptide ligand 119R can down-regulate the activation of psoriatic T cells more effectively than in coincubation but less effectively as compared with altered peptide ligand 119R only. Altered peptide ligand 355L was also shown to have a similar presentation. T-cell culture supernatants (1:100) from the concentrations (10 μ g · mL-1 and 100 μ g · mL-1 with 119R, 100 μ g · mL-1 with 355L) were more effective than the other ratios in inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation. Limitations: This study had a relatively small sample size (52 patients and 48 healthy controls). Conclusion: Our findings show that the altered peptide ligands 119R (VAALEEANTELEVKI) and 355L (ENRYCVQASQIQGLI) are capable of inhibiting proliferative responses of psoriatic T cells and keratinocyte proliferation in vitro, at least, with enhanced helper T cell type 2 polarization. Thus, to our knowledge, this article is the first report of the demonstration of therapeutic activity of altered peptide ligands derived from keratin 17.
Background： Identification of critical autoantigenic T-cell epitopes is key to developing antigen-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis. Our previous work demonstrated that 3 peptides on keratin 17 are able to stimulate peripheral blood lymphocytes of HLA-DRB1 ＊ 07-positive patients with psoriasis and to serve as immunodominant T cell epitopes. Objective： We sought to determine antagonistic altered peptide ligands to psoriatic T cells with a down-modulatory effect in inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation. Methods： Psoriatic altered peptide ligands were generated by single alanine residue substitutions at a critical T-cell receptor contact residue position. Antago- nistic altered peptide ligands were identified by suppression screening of psoriatic T-cell activation and keratinocyte proliferation. Results： Altered peptide ligands llgR and 355L can inhibit psoriatic T-cell activation more effectively than other altered peptide ligands, especially 355L, with inhibition of T-cell proliferation and the secretion of interferon gamma and interleukin 2 in parallel with the upregulation of interleukins 4 and 10 as well as transforming growth factor-lB. In coincubation assay, altered peptide ligands 119R and 355L can down-regulate the function of psoriatic T cells more effectively than wild-type epitopes solely, but less effectively than altered peptide ligands solely. In prepulse assay altered peptide ligand 119R can down-regulate the activation of psoriatic T cells more effectively than in coincubation but less effectively as compared with altered peptide ligand 119R only. Altered peptide ligand 355L was also shown to have a similar presentation. T-cell culture supernatants （1： 100）from the concentrations （10 μg · mL^-1 and 100 μg ˉ mL^-1 with 119R, 100 μg · mL^-1 with 355L） were more effective than the other ratios in inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation. Limitations： This study had a relatively small sample size （52 patients and 48 healthy controls） . Conclusion： Our findings show that the altered peptide ligands 119R （VAALEEANTELEVKI） and 355L （ENRYCVQASQIQGLI） are capable of inhibiting proliferative responses of psoriatic T cells and keratinocyte proliferation in vitro, at least,
