T-Lymphocyte Recognition of Hsp 60 in Experimental Arthritis

This chapter discusses the understanding of the role(s) of T cells specific for heat shock protein (hsp) 60 in experimental arthritis. The presence of shared antigenic epitopes in the arthritogenic preparation might account for hsp 65 recognition in streptococcal cell wall arthritis. However, it is demonstrated recently that following immunization with hsp 65 Lewis and Fisher rats both show T-cell reactivity to an identical set of hsp 65 epitopes. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying human rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions remain unknown. In the search for a better understanding of these mechanisms and the development of potential therapeutic agents several rodent models of arthritis have been exploited. The localization of the arthritis-associated T-cell epitope to hsp 65 180-188 prompted attempts to induce adjuvant arthritis by immunization with hsp 65 alone; all of which failed. The ubiquitous and highly conserved nature of hsp 60 cognates makes them candidate "autoantigens" in human arthritis, particularly reactive arthritis as a consequence of bacterial infection.