Molecular mimicry mediated by MHC class Ib molecules after infection with Gram-negative pathogens

The development of many autoimmune diseases has been etiologically linked to exposure to infectious agents(1). For example, a subset of patients with a history of Salmonella infection develop reactive arthritis(2-6). The persistence of bacterial antigen in arthritic tissue and the isolation of Salmonella or Yersinia reactive CD8(+) T cells from the joints of patients with reactive arthritis support the etiological link between Gram-negative bacterial infection and autoimmune disease(7,8). Models proposed to account for the link between infection and autoimmunity include inflammation-induced presentation of cryptic self-epitopes, antigen persistence and molecular mimicry(1). Several studies support molecular mimicry as a mechanism for the involvement of class II epitopes in infectious disease-induced self-reactivity(9-12). Here, we have identified an immunodominant epitope derived from the S. typhimurium GroEL molecule. This epitope is presented by the mouse H2-T23-encoded class Ib molecule Qa-l and was recognized by CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced after natural infection. S. typhimurium-stimulated cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing the GroEL epitope cross-reacted with a peptide derived from mouse heat shock protein 60 and recognized stressed macrophages. Our results indicate involvement of MHC class ib molecules in infection-induced autoimmune recognition and indicate a mechanism for the etiological link between Gram-negative bacterial infection and autoimmunity.