"Peripheral Nerve Targeting by Autoreactive T Cells in Guillain–Barré Syndrome"

Autoreactive T cells targeting myelin antigens exclusively expressed in peripheral nerves have been identified in patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), particularly in the acute phase of the disease. These T cells show a cytotoxic TH1 signature and are predominantly HLA-DR restricted, with a polyclonal TCRβ repertoire and short CDR3β lengths. The autoreactive T cells recognize multiple epitopes of the self-antigens, with some immunodominant regions being targeted across patients. The findings suggest a potential link between preceding infectious agents and the induction of self-reactive T cell immunity in a fraction of post-viral GBS cases.