Development of Rheumatoid Factors and Anti-F(ab′)2 Antibodies in Guinea Pigs Immunized with Type II Bovine Collagen

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Abstract
The purpose of this report is to present results demonstrating for the first time the development of rheumatoid factors to rabbit IgG-Fc as well as antirabbit F(ab′)2 antibodies in guinea pigs after chronic sensitization with purified native type II bovine collagen. The sensitized animals also developed antibodies to guinea pig Ig. Antibodies to rabbit Ig arose as early as 3 weeks after bovine type II collagen injection and persisted for as long as 80 weeks when the experiment was terminated. The anti-Ig antibodies did not cross-react with the type II bovine collagen. Despite development and persistence of higher titers of RF and anti-F(ab′)2 antibodies in the immunized animals, the animals failed to show clinical evidence of inflammatory polyarthritis. These results indicate that rheumatoid factors as well as antibodies to F(ab′)2 arise independently of the clinical expression of disease.