Fig. 2.

T cell reactivity against LRRYLENGK but not against RRYLENGKETL exists in patients with AS. Results from TNF-α ELISPOT assays from individual donors (mean numbers of TNF-α spot forming CD8⁺ T cells) for the nonapeptide LRRYLENGK (a), the 11-mer RRYLENGKETL (b) and the Inf NP 383–391 peptide SRYWAIRTR (c). All experiments were performed in triplicate. Mean numbers of these triplicates are given as SFC per 1 × 10⁵ cells for each patient or normal donor. Mean numbers of spots induced by T2-B*2705 alone (background) were subtracted from mean spot numbers induced by antigen-loaded T2-B*2705. ‘Negative’ responses indicate spot numbers lower than background.