The Journal of Immunology, Vol 146, Issue 9 3132-3137, Copyright © 1991 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Epitopes of group A streptococcal M protein shared with antigens of articular cartilage and synovium

RW Baird, MS Bronze, W Kraus, HR Hill, LG Veasey and JB Dale
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38104.

Rabbit antisera evoked by purified pepsin-extracted group A streptococcal M proteins were screened for the presence of joint cross- reactive antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence using thin sections of mouse knee joints. Pep M1, M5, and M18 antisera contained antibodies that cross-reacted with chondrocytes, cartilage, and synovium. Immunofluorescence inhibition assays showed that some of the joint cross-reactive epitopes were shared among the three heterologous serotypes of M protein. The pep M5 joint cross-reactive epitopes were localized to three different synthetic peptides of the C-terminal region of pep M5. Immunoblot analyses showed that the M5 joint cross- reactive antibodies recognized two proteins of human synovium and cartilage of molecular mass 56 and 58 kDa. The cross-reactive antibodies binding to the 56-kDa protein were inhibited by purified vimentin in immunoblot inhibition experiments. M protein-specific antibodies from patients with acute rheumatic fever were also shown to cross-react with joint tissue in a pattern similar to the rabbit antisera. Rabbit and human M protein-specific antibodies that were bound to articular cartilage activated significant levels of complement when compared to control serum, suggesting that M protein joint cross- reactive antibodies could potentially be involved in the pathogenesis of ARF and arthritis.

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