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Myelin-Specific Autoimmune T Cells in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis: Their Characteristics and Possible Approaches to Immunospecific Therapy

  • Conference paper
Symposium in Immunology I and II

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Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the numerous human inflammatory diseases with suspected, though not formally confirmed autoimmune pathogenesis. It is clear that MS is not caused by humoral autoantibodies, which definitely have a central effector function in diseases such as myasthenia gravis and pemphigoid. It appears rather that the immunopathological changes typically seen in the myelinated parts of the central nervous system (CNS) are caused by cellular rather than by humoral autoimmune mechanisms. There are diverse lines of evidence suggesting that autoaggressive T cells cause MS by attacking the body’s own myelinated tissues. These include the association of disease susceptibility with certain haplotypes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), in particular with its class II genes. Second, the histological changes in the MS lesion are highly suggestive of a T cell mediated inflammatory reaction (see below). These changes share essential features with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a myelin-specific autoimmune disease inducible in animals by immunization against myelin components.

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Authors
  1. H. Wekerle
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Immunologie der Universität Wien, Borschkegasse 8 a, 1090, Wien, Austria

    Martha M. Eibl

  2. Abteilung für Hämatologie, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Langenbeckstr. 1, 6500, Mainz, Germany

    Christoph Huber

  3. Abteilung für Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Hugstetter Str. 55, 7800, Freiburg i.Br., Germany

    Hans H. Peter

  4. Päd. Pneumologie und Immunologie, Univ.-Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Charlottenburg, Heubnerweg 6, 1000, Berlin 19, Germany

    Ulrich Wahn

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Wekerle, H. (1993). Myelin-Specific Autoimmune T Cells in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis: Their Characteristics and Possible Approaches to Immunospecific Therapy. In: Eibl, M.M., Huber, C., Peter, H.H., Wahn, U. (eds) Symposium in Immunology I and II. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78087-5_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78087-5_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-56478-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-78087-5

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