Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

R Hal Scofield

John B Harley

Judith Ann James

A specific method has been developed to produce an autoimmune response and resulting clinical symptoms for a particular disease process. Peptides or other structures derived from an autoantigen and which are bound by auto antibody or T cell receptors are identified and used to induce an immune response. This immune response evolves into an autoimmune response directed against the other portions of the protein from which the peptide was derived. Subsequently, clinical manifestations may appear that are also found in the clinical illness. selected from the group including viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, rickettsia, plasmids, and insects which contains a structure or a peptide sequence that is similar to a structure or peptide sequence that has been identified by the method of claim,to the extent that it is bound by one of the group selected from antigen specific B cell surface receptors, and antigen specific T cell receptors.

Non-human animal model for systemic lupus erythematosis

It has been determined that HLA B27 is related to proteins of the Gram negative enteric bacteria. The hypervariable regions of the HLA B alleles were compared to the known sequenced proteins for short consecutive amino acid identities. It was found that, unique to the HLA B alleles,, HLA B27 shares an unexpected number of hexapeptides and pentapeptides with Gram negative bacteria proteins. The proteins from enteric organisms that share sequence with B27 tend to have sequences that satisfy protein sequence motifs which are thought to predict binding to B27. In addition, there is a sequence in B27, LRRYLENGK, which is predicted to bind as a peptide to B27. Binding of this peptide to B27 has been demonstrated. The disclosed peptides are useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and can be used to design additional peptides from Gram negative enteric organisms can be identified to be important in the spondyloarthropathies. These peptides and their analogs can be used to screen for antibodies, and more importantly, T cells reactive with the peptides, which are indicative of the spondyloarthropathies.

Growing community of inventors

Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America

R Hal Scofield