Alzheimer disease-associated cystatin C variant undergoes impaired secretion.

CST3 is the coding gene for cystatin C (CysC). CST3 B/B homozygosity is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease. We performed CysC analysis on human primary skin fibroblasts obtained from donors carrying A/A, A/B, and B/B CST3.

Self epitopes shared between human skeletal myosin and Streptococcus pyogenes M5 protein are targets of immune responses in active juvenile dermatomyositis.

Objective: To identify self T cell epitopes associated with proinflammatory immune responses and clinically active juvenile dermatomyositis (juvenile DM). The target of our search for relevant epitopes was represented by amino acid sequences shared between human skeletal myosin and Streptococcus pyogenes M5 protein. The long-term objective of the project is to identify suitable targets for immunotherapy of the disease.

Proinflammatory responses to self HLA epitopes are triggered by molecular mimicry to Epstein-Barr virus proteins in oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate whether abnormal T cell recognition may be generated by exposure to exogenous antigens presenting sequence homology with epitopes contained in self HLA alleles, and if such recognition may be part of the mechanisms that fuel inflammation in autoimmune diseases associated with certain HLA alleles.

Methods: Cytotoxic responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to 9-mer peptides derived from HLA molecules (DRB1*1101, DRB1*0801, or DPB1*0201) associated with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or homologous peptides derived from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) proteins (Bolf1 or Balf2) were analyzed in patients with oligoarticular JIA and in healthy controls matched for HLA-DRB1*1101, DRB1*0801, or DPB1*0201. Production of proinflammatory cytokines in culture supernatants was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.