Telephone: +47 23073045

E-mail: l.a.munthe@medisin.uio.no

FAX: +47 23 073510 /

+47 23 073822

My interests

I am studying B cell presentation of endogenous V region derived peptides on MHC class II molecules. V region derived peptides (idiotopes, Id) may stimulate Id-specific T cells. The resulting Id-dependent T-B collaboration is unusual since T cells respond to endogenous selfantigens presented by individual B cells, and since the T cell therefore recognizes antigenic peptides on B cells irrespective of the B cell's specificity. The antigen specificity of B and T cells are thus "non-linked". Such an interaction opens for the secretion of spontaneously occuring "natural" antibodies, and may play an important part in generation of autoimmune diseases were B cells play a major role. Examples of such diseases are Systemic Lupus Erytematosus (SLE), Reumatoid arthritis and perhaps multiple sclerosis.