Major DQ8-Restricted T-Cell Epitopes for Human GAD65 Mapped Using Human CD4, DQA1*0301, DQB1*0302 Transgenic IA~null NOD Mice

摘要

The 65KD isoform of GAD is considered to be a major target autoantigen in many humans with autoimmune prediabetes or diabetes. The major histocompatibility complex class II allele DQA1*0301, DQB1*0302, which encodes HLA-DQ8, confers susceptibility to type 1 dia- betes and occurs in up to 80/100 of affected individuals. To map T-cell epitopes for GAD65 restricted tot he dia- Betes-associated DQ8 heterodimer, we generated trans- Genic NOD mice expressing HLA-DQ8 and human CD4 While having the mouse class II gene (IA_β) deleted.