Opposing T Cell Responses in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for multiple sclerosis (MS), induction generates successive waves of clonally expanded CD4(+), CD8(+), and γ(+) T cells in the blood and central nervous system, similar to gluten challenge studies of Celiac patients. In MS patients, we also observe major expansions of CD8(+) T cells. In EAE, we find that most expanded CD4(+) T cells are specific for the inducing myelin peptide MOG(35–55) but in contrast, surrogate peptides derived from a yeast peptide-MHC display library for some of the clonally expanded CD8(+) T cells inhibit disease by suppressing the proliferation of MOG-specific CD4(+) T cells. These results suggest the induction of autoreactive CD4(+) T cells triggers an opposing mobilization of regulatory CD8(+) T cells.