Humoral and Cellular Immunologic Responses in Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats: Their Correlation with Severity of Arthritis

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Abstract
Collagen arthritis in rats had a well defined humoral and cellular immunologic response to type II collagen, the inciting antigen. Like other chronic models of inflammation, considerable variation exists in terms of severity and incidence. The inflammatory response as measured by paw volume, with serum type II collagen antibody and skin delayed hypersensitivity (DH) was correlated to type II collagen. The incidence and severity of collagen arthritis, induced in the presence of MDP [muramyl dipeptide] to increase incidence of the disease, are neither correlated with type II collagen antibody nor DH to type II collagen. Tarsometatarsal bone erosion is significantly correlated with paw edema. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the role of both humoral and cellular immune responses in the development of type II collagen arthritis in the rat.