@article {Veeraraghavan982, author = {S Veeraraghavan and E A Renzoni and H Jeal and M Jones and J Hammer and A U Wells and C M Black and K I Welsh and R M du Bois}, title = {Mapping of the immunodominant T cell epitopes of the protein topoisomerase I}, volume = {63}, number = {8}, pages = {982--987}, year = {2004}, doi = {10.1136/ard.2003.008037}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Objectives: To identify the immunodominant T cell epitopes of the topoisomerase I protein in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and control subjects, using computational analysis software (TEPITOPE) and T cell proliferation assays. Methods: Six oligopeptides, predicted by TEPITOPE software as potential topoisomerase protein epitopes, were used to perform T cell proliferation assays in 21 patients with SSc and 15 healthy controls. Results: A positive response to at least one of the peptides was seen in 10/21 patients and 7/15 healthy controls. Among responders, the proliferative response was limited to a single peptide in 6/7 healthy controls, whereas 5/10 patients responded to more than one peptide. In responding patients a significant correlation was found between disease duration and number of peptides inducing a response (pā€Š=ā€Š0.007). Conclusions: Several T cell epitopes of the topoisomerase I protein have been identified and evidence has been found to suggest epitope spreading in patients with SSc.}, issn = {0003-4967}, URL = {https://ard.bmj.com/content/63/8/982}, eprint = {https://ard.bmj.com/content/63/8/982.full.pdf}, journal = {Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases} }