Open AccessSpontaneous development of autoimmune uveoretinitis in nude mice following reconstitution with embryonic rat thymus
Author(s) -
ICHIKAWA T.,
TAGUCH O.,
TAKAHASHI T.,
IKEDA H.,
TAKEUCHI M.,
TANAKA T.,
USUI M,
NISHIZUKA Y.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1991.tb05782.x
Subject(s) - antigen , immunology , immunofluorescence , retinal , autoimmunity , sensitization , antibody , embryonic stem cell , autoimmune disease , biology , pathology , medicine , biochemistry , gene
SUMMARY This paper describes the spontaneous occurrence of an autoimmune uveoretinitis in nude ( nu/nu ) mice reconstituted when 4 weeks old by the grafting of rat embryonic thymus. The uveoretinitis was characterized histologically by progressive loss of the pholoreceptor layer, observed in 4. 0 , 17.6, 42.9% and 71.4 % of such mice at 3, 5, 7 and 12 months of age. respectively. Mice with uveoretinitis were shown to huve serum IgG antibody reactive by indirect immunofluorcscence with retinal photo receptors, and with interphotoreceptor retinoid‐binding protein (IRBP). but not retinal S‐antigen. by immunoblotting and ELISA. A uveoretinitis could be adoptively transferred to syngeneic ungrafted nude mice by splenic CD4* T cells from diseased animals. This is the first experimental model of a (T cell mediated) autoimmune uveoretinitis which develops spontaneously and which is not dependent upon deliberate sensitization with retinal antigens and adjuvants.