Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly pruritic, chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects up to 25% of children and 10% of adults. Approximately 90% of patients with AD are colonised by Staphylococcus aureus, compared with only 5–30% of non-atopic individuals. Th2 cytokines have a permissive effect on microbial invasion, the epidermal barrier, and cell-mediated immunity, which lowers the prod...

Several possible nechanisns ofautoinutune response leading to tlrc developntent o;fautoitutnune diseases are discnssed briefly herein. Failure of both B and T cell tolerance, lack of suppressor T cell functiotts, an apoptosis defect, increased etpressiott of suPerantigens, adverse effects of c1'tokines and possible uicrobial infecrions have all been proposed as tlrc tnechanisns of autoiuuune re...

Superantigens are microbial proteins that strongly stimulate T cells. We described previously that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transactivates a superantigen encoded by the human endogenous retrovirus, HERV-K18. We now report that the transactivation is dependent upon the EBV latent cycle proteins. Moreover, LMP-2A is sufficient for induction of HERV-K18 superantigen activity.

Superantigens (SAGs) activate T cells by simultaneously binding the Vbeta domain of the TCR and MHC class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells. The preferential expression of certain Valpha regions among SAG-reactive T cells has suggested that the TCR alpha chain may modulate the level of activation through an interaction with MHC. We demonstrate that the TCR alpha chain is required for max...

OBJECTIVE Type B fibroblastic synoviocytes are abundant in inflamed joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and can secrete cytokines and other mediators of inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine whether cell lines derived from RA type B synoviocytes could also serve as accessory cells for T lymphocyte activation. METHODS Cells from RA synoviocyte lines, with or witho...