Regulatory CD4 ⁺ T Cells Recognize Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Molecule–Restricted Peptide Epitopes of Apolipoprotein B

These findings show that APOB p18-specific CD4⁺ T cells are mainly Tregs in healthy donors, but coexpress other CD4 lineage transcription factors in donors with subclinical cardiovascular disease. This study identifies ApoB peptide 18 as the first Treg epitope in human and mouse atherosclerosis.