PURPOSE: To characterize T cells infiltrating into the ocular tissues of mice with experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) immunized with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). METHODS: The T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire on T cells obtained from ocular lesions of EAU mice was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The clonotype of the T cells was examined by the single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) method, followed by sequence analysis of the TCR beta-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3). RESULTS: The repertoire of the TCR BV gene in T cells from inflamed lesions was heterogeneous. SSCP analysis showed accumulation of multiple T cells specifically in ocular tissues of EAU mice, suggesting that these cells were expanded by an antigen-driven stimulation. Junctional sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of highly conserved amino acid sequence motifs (AGTGG, AGD) in CDR3 of BV2-positive T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that T cells infiltrating into ocular lesions of EAU mice recognize restricted T cell epitopes of IRBP, resulting in autoimmune uveoretinitis.
PURPOSE: To characterize T cells infiltrating into the ocular tissues of mice with experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) immunized with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). METHODS: The T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire on T cells obtained from ocular lesions of EAU mice was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The clonotype of the T cells was examined by the single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) method, followed by sequence analysis of the TCR beta-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3). RESULTS: The repertoire of the TCR BV gene in T cells from inflamed lesions was heterogeneous. SSCP analysis showed accumulation of multiple T cells specifically in ocular tissues of EAU mice, suggesting that these cells were expanded by an antigen-driven stimulation. Junctional sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of highly conserved amino acid sequence motifs (AGTGG, AGD) in CDR3 of BV2-positive T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that T cells infiltrating into ocular lesions of EAU mice recognize restricted T cell epitopes of IRBP, resulting in autoimmune uveoretinitis.