Development of antigen specific therapy for rheumatoid arthritis

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We identified autoantigen BiP-derived HLA-DR4 epitopes in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients. BiP-specific CD4+T cells increased both in peripheral blood and synovial tissues of RA. This subset produced pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin(IL)-17, and could have a close association with RA pathogenesis. Moreover, oral administration of this BiP epitope ameliorated mouse models of RA significantly. These observations support the possibility of the development of antigen-specific therapy for RA.