“…Thus, T-cell responses can be altered by molecular mimicry or by amino acid substitutions of MHC molecules or antigenic peptides, i.e., TCR ligands, and such peptide analogues can induce qualitative changes in T cells; T cell anergy, T cell antagonism, or changes in proliferative responses and lymphokine production 6,7 Consequently, the application of such altered peptides, in which pathogenic T cells can be selectively regulated without adverse effects such as systemic immunosupression, is considered to be a possibly promising approach to the treatment of autoimmune diseases. 17 The study by Ochiai et al 1 indicates the direction in which further studies on PBC should proceed. Clarification of these questions may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of PBC.…”