T Cells Show an Immune Response Against Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA-1) in Paediatric Autoimmune Uveitis.
Most children with autoimmune uveitis had T cells reactive to Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 antigen.
T Cells Show an Immune Response Against Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA-1) in Paediatric Autoimmune Uveitis.
The purpose of this study was to examine the reactivity of T cells from children with paediatric uveitis to the complete Epstein-Barr virus (Epstein-Barr virus) EBNA-1 antigen and to the EBNA-1 AA 397-408 epitope in relation to the class II HLA-DRB1*15:01 genetic profile.
We used ELISPOT to measure the IFN-γ T cell response of eleven patients with paediatric non-infectious uveitis and three control patients to a peptide pool containing the complete Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 antigen and to the Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 AA 397-408 peptide motif.
Of the five HLA-DRB1*15:01 positive uveitis and control patients, four (80%) had a positive T cell response to the Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 pool.
No statistically significant differences were seen in number of spot forming units per 10 6 cells against the Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 pool between HLA-DRB1*15:01 positive compared to HLA-DRB1*15:01 negative uveitis patients.
One patient with intermediate uveitis who was homozygous positive for HLA-DRB1*15:01 had a positive T cell response to the EBNA-1 AA 397-408 peptide motif condition.
In this exploratory study, we found that the majority of uveitis patients, regardless of HLA-DRB1*15:01 genetic background, had a measurable T cell response against the complete Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 antigen.
A positive T cell response against the EBNA-1 AA 397-408 epitope specifically was measured in one uveitis patient; a homozygote HLA-DRB1*15:01 positive patient with intermediate uveitis.