Immunomodulation of streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis. Identification of inflammatory cells and regulatory T cell subsets by mercuric chloride and in vivo CD8 depletion

✍ Scribed by Maries F. Van den Broek; Emile de Heer; Mieke C. J. van Bruggen; Guido de Roo; Karin Kleiverda; Frits Eulderink; Wim B. van den Berg

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 809 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830221210

✦ Synopsis

Streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis is a chronic, erosive polyarthritis which can be induced in susceptible Lewis rats by one intraperitoneal injection of a sterile, aqueous suspension of SCW. The chronic phase of the disease is dependent on Tcells. Mercuric chloride is an immunomodulating agent, causing autoimmunity in BN rats, but an OX8+ cell-mediated immunosuppression in Lewis rats. Therefore, we investigated the effect of mercuric chloride, whether or not combined with in vivo OX8 depletion, on SCW-induced arthritis in Lewis rats. We show that (a) depletion of OX8+ cells leads to a more chronic arthritis with a more rapid onset, (b) treatment with mercuric chloride induces a rapidly developing disease which is not chronic, and (c) treatment with mercuric chloride and OX8+ cell depletion induces an arthritis with a very rapid onset and enhanced chronicity. Together with histological data this suggests an important role for OX8+ T cells in controlling both the acute and chronic phase of the disease. In addition, mercuric chloride seems to induce an early activation of Tcells resulting in an enhanced onset of disease, which is controlled later by enhanced activation of OX8+ cells.