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A peptide encompassing residues 131-151 of the spliceosomal U1-70K protein and its analog phosphorylated at Ser140 were synthesized as potential candidates for the treatment of patients with lupus. Studies in the MRL/lpr and (NZB x NZW)F1 lupus models have demonstrated that these sequences contain a CD4+ T cell epitope but administration of the phosphorylated peptide only ameliorates the clinical manifestations of treated MRL/lpr mice. Binding assays with soluble HLA class II molecules and molecular modeling experiments indicate that both peptides behave as promiscuous epitopes and bind to a large panel of human DR molecules. In contrast to normal T cells and T cells from non-lupus autoimmune patients, we found that PBMCs from 40% of lupus patients selected randomly and CFSE-labeled CD4+ T cells proliferate in response to peptide 131-151. Remarkably, however, we observed that phosphorylation of Ser140 prevents CD4+ T cells proliferation but not secretion of regulatory cytokines, suggesting a striking immunomodulatory effect of phosphorylated analog on lupus CD4+ T cells that was unique to patients. The analog might act as an activator of regulatory T cells or as a partial agonist of TCR.

Autoantibodies directed against spliceosomal heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) are a typical feature of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and mixed-connective tissue disease. With the aim of investigating a potential pathogenic role of these Abs, we have studied the Ab response to A2/B1 hnRNPs in different murine models of lupus. The specificity of anti-A2/B1 Abs was tested with a series of 14 overlapping synthetic peptides covering the region 1-206 of A2 that contains most of the epitopes recognized by patients' Abs. A major epitope recognized very early during the course of the disease by Abs from most of MRL lpr/lpr mice but not from other lupus mice and from mice of different MHC haplotypes immunized against B1 was identified in residues 50-70. This peptide contains a highly conserved sequence RGFGFVTF also present in other hnRNPs and small nuclear ribonucleoproteins. Abs reacting with a second A2 epitope identified in residues 35-55 were detectable several weeks later, suggesting an intramolecular B cell epitope spreading during the course of the disease. We identified several T cell epitopes within the region 35-175 that generated an effective Th cell response with IL-2 and IFN-gamma secretion in nonautoimmune CBA/J mice sharing the same MHC haplotype H-2k as MRL/lpr mice. None of the peptides stimulated T cells primed in vivo with B1. Because Abs to peptide 50-70 were detected significantly earlier than Abs reacting with other A2 peptides and the protein itself, it is possible that within the protein, this segment contains residues playing an initiator role in the induction of the anti-A2/B1 and antispliceosome Ab response.