INDUCTION OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC ARTHRITIS BY INTRA-ARTICULAR INJECTION OF PREFORMED COLLAGEN-ANTICOLLAGEN COMPLEXES

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (2) , 161-170
Abstract
Three groups of rabbits were injected intra-articularly into the knee joints with preformed complexes of hydroxamated collagen and antiserum to denatured collagen. From 12 rabbits, receiving only 1 injection and investigated 8 h later, only the joint tissues of rabbits which received immune complexes showed acute arthritis with severe infiltration of polymorphonuclears, leukocyte thrombi in vessels and hemorrhages. From 6 rabbits, receiving 2 consecutive injections (day O and day 2) and investigated 12 h after the last injection, only the joint tissue of rabbits which received immune complexes showed subacute-chronic arthritis. From 16 rabbits, receiving 4 consecutive injections (day O, day 2, day 7 and day 14) and investigated 7 days after the last injection, only the joint tissue of rabbits which received immune complexes showed severe chronic arthritis with infiltration of plasma cells, lymphocytes and nodule-like accumulation of lymphocytes, while their joint fluid showed a distinctly increased number of polymorphonuclears (3-15 .times. 106) which differed (with P < 0.01) from all controls.