Isolation of P2 protein–reactive T‐cell lines from human blood

Abstract

Human T‐cell lines reactive with the peripheral nerve myelin, protein, P₂ protein, were isolated from the peripheral blood of 4 normal persons and 1 patient with Guillain‐Barré syndrome. These predominantly helper phenotype T‐cell lines were isolated and maintained in vitro by antigen stimulation followed by culture with interleukin 2. Myelin basic protein–reactive T cells were also isolated in parallel from the same subjects as antigen specificity controls. T cells recognizing myelin basic protein did not respond to P₂ protein, nor did P₂‐reactive cells respond to myelin basic protein. These findings suggest that a potential for autoimmune reactivity with peripheral nervous system myelin antigens may exist for both normal persons and some patients with neurological disease.