COMPARISON OF ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC T-CELL RESPONSES IN AUTOIMMUNE MRL/MP-1PR/1PR AND MRL/MP-+/+ MICE

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 132  (2) , 633-639
Abstract
The MRL-1 mouse develops severe autoimmune disease characterized by high titers of autoantibodies at an early age (3-5 mo.). The congeneic MRL-n mouse, which differs only in the lymphoproliferative (lpr) gene, exhibits no such pathologic or serologic abnormalities at the same age. Antigen-specific T cell responses in the MRL-1 mouse were examined and compared to age- and sex-matched MRL-n controls. Broad defects were found in these responses in the MRL-1 mouse; an inability to generate primary allospecific and hapten-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL), secondary hapten- and virus-specific CTL, as well as a deficient proliferative response to hapten and natural antigens and a weak delayed-type hypersensitivity response were demonstrated. A lack of interleukin 2 (IL 2) acceptor sites in the proliferating T cell, with no such lack on CTL precursors, was suggested. The deficient CTL responses in MRL-1 mice can be restored to levels seen in MRL-n by the in vitro addition of IL 2. The implications of these findings and the possible explanations for the relative deficit in helper function in the MRL-1 mouse are discussed.

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