کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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3257367 | 1207409 | 2011 | 9 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
Autoimmune inner ear disease is described as progressive, bilateral although asymmetric, sensorineural hearing loss and can be improved by immunosuppressive therapy. We showed that the inner ear autoantigen β-tubulin is capable of inducing experimental autoimmune hearing loss (EAHL) in mice. Immunization of BALB/c mice with β-tubulin resulted in hair cell loss and hearing loss, effects that were not seen in animals immunized with control peptide. Moreover, the EAHL model showed that β-tubulin responsiveness involved CD4+ T cells producing IFN-γ, and T cell mediation of EAHL was determined by significantly increased auditory brainstem response after adoptive transfer of β-tubulin-activated CD4+ T cells into naive BALB/c recipients. The potential mechanisms responsible for the observed pathology of EAHL can be attributed to decreased frequency and impaired suppressive function of regulatory T cells. Our study suggests that EAHL may be a T cell-mediated organ-specific autoimmune disorder of the inner ear.
Journal: Clinical Immunology - Volume 138, Issue 2, February 2011, Pages 222–230