Adjuvant polyarthritis. VII. The role of type II collagen in pathogenesis

Testicular-associated immune deviation and prevention of adjuvant-induced arthritis by three tolerization methods

A new tolerizing effect, testicular-associated immune deviation (TAID), was produced in rats by injecting antigen, emulsified with adjuvant, into the testicle. TAID abrogated the delayed hypersensitivity response to subsequent immunization. This study also assessed the effect of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID), the aforementioned TAID and an equivalent tolerization method named alternative in vitro immune deviation (AVID), on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). ACAID was produced by introducing antigen, emulsified with adjuvant, into the anterior chamber of the eye. AVID was achieved by exposing peritoneal exudate cells to antigen in the presence of fetal calf serum in vitro and then injecting the cells intraperitoneally. Antigen in adjuvant was administered intradermally to Dark Agouti rats, which are normally susceptible to AIA. One week after treatment with ACAID, TAID or AVID, the rats became resistant to AIA. The presence of neutralizing antibody to transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2) in the culture abrogated the AVID effect. We concluded that introducing an antigen to the testicle induces immune deviation, and that prior introduction of the antigen to macrophages in an appropriate immune suppressive context, such as ACAID, TAID or AVID, prevents AIA.

High-density proteoglycan induces specific suppression of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats

In vitro data support the view that T cells in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) respond to the proteoglycan (PG) component of articular cartilage; however, an in vivo role for PG in AIA has yet to be shown. To do so, we examined the effects of pretreatment with bovine cartilage high density PG (HDPG) on AIA induced by heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum in Lewis rats. Purified bovine cartilage HDPG emulsified in Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) was injected intradermally into rats 7 days before challenge with Myco. butyricum. The severity of arthritis was significantly suppressed in rats pretreated with as little as 0.75 mg of HDPG, and the arthritis was completely suppressed in rats pretreated with 3.0 mg of HDPG. This suppression was specific, as the same treatment did not protect against type II collagen-induced arthritis. Suppression of AIA is primarily a property of the HDPG, as suppression of the arthritis was significantly less with pretreatment with 3.0 mg of middle density fractions of PG, and no suppression was observed with pretreatment with the lowest density fraction of PG. Thus we report that pretreatment with cartilage HDPG, but not lower density PG, can induce specific suppression of AIA. These in vivo results support the view that immunity to cartilage HDPG plays a major role in the pathogenesis of AIA, and can induce specific tolerance to this type of arthritis.

Adjuvant arthritis pretreatment with type II collagen and Mycobacterium butyricum

A treatment previous to adjuvant arthritis induction has been performed with type II collagen (CII) or Mycobacterium butyricum (Mb), which is the inducer of the pathology. Pretreatment was administered in two different ways: a) subcutaneously or intradermally 14 days before arthritis induction, and b) intravenously 3 days before induction. In order to relate the change in inflammation to the corresponding antigen immune response, serum antibodies and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) against CII or Mb were studied. Pretreatment with s.c. CII 14 days before induction produced slight protection against arthritis and significantly delayed its onset; systemic inflammation showed good positive correlation with anti-CII antibodies. The CII administered i.v. 3 days before arthritic challenge did not significantly modify the inflammatory process. The use of i.d. subarthritogenic doses of Mb 14 days before induction protected a high percentage of the animals from the posterior arthritic challenge; this protection was accompanied by high anti-Mb antibody titers and DTH reaction. When Mb was given i.v. 3 days before induction, a partial protection of inflammation was observed; arthritis was milder and its onset was delayed. These changes were accompanied by reduced humoral and cellular response to Mb.

Adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Evidence that autoimmunity to homologous collagens types I, II, IX and XI is not involved in the pathogenesis of arthritis

We examined the sera of arthritic outbred Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats and inbred Fisher 344 and Wistar-Lewis rats for autoantibodies to rat type I, II, IX and XI collagens following the induction of arthritis with mycobacteria (MTB). Although many sera collected over an extended time were assayed in addition to acid eluates of arthritic joints, convincing evidence for autoimmunity to collagen could not be demonstrated. Instead, modest non-specific reactions were observed to collagen, irrelevant proteins, and buffer-treated plastic microtitre wells. In contrast, antibodies to purified protein derivative (PPD) were detected in the sera of rats developing adjuvant-induced arthritis, and antibodies to type II collagen, in the sera and joint eluate of rats developing experimental collagen-induced arthritis. Lastly, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to collagen could not be detected, nor could adjuvant-induced arthritis be attenuated by soluble collagen injected intravenously before challenge with MTB. We conclude that adjuvant-induced arthritis and experimental collagen-induced arthritis are distinct models of rheumatic disease and that autoimmunity to collagen is neither prevalent in adjuvant-induced arthritis nor necessary for its pathogenesis.

Enhancing effects of tilorone on collagen arthritis and humoral immune response to type II collagen

The effect of tilorone, which is known to suppress adjuvant arthritis, on the induction of collagen arthritis in rats was investigated. Combined data of the present experiments show that all of the tilorone-treated rats except one in the lowest dosage group developed arthritis but that the incidence of arthritis in the tilorone-treated groups was not significantly different from that of the control group. The results also show that the two higher dosages (12.5 and 25 mg/kg/day) of tilorone caused a significant increase in the severity of collagen arthritis. Humoral immune response to type II collagen was significantly augmented in these two higher dosage groups; however, delayed-type hypersensitivity response to type II collagen was suppressed while tilorone was administered continuously. In addition, treatment with tilorone caused a significant increase in the concentration of anticollagen IgG extractable from the joint tissue. Anticollagen IgG subclass analysis revealed that the major subclass was IgG2a in both the serum and paw extract, with minor amounts of IgG2b, IgG2c, and IgG1. The response of all these subclasses was almost equally activated by tilorone treatment.

Biochemical analysis of synoviocytes from normal and arthritic rats. Evidence for an activated state associated with adjuvant polyarthritis

Adjuvant-induced polyarthritis in rats is a common model system used for the study of the synovitis that occurs in rheumatoid arthritis. Synoviocytes A, the major cell type covering the internal surface of the joint, could be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis because of their increased proliferation and the intraarticular manifestations of the disease. So far only a few molecular studies have been reported on synoviocytes upon arthritis induction. We report here changes in polypeptides, between control and arthritic synoviocytes, by using two different radiolabeling methods and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis. Major differences were found using metabolic labeling on regions of tropomyosins, cyclin, tubulins and vimentin. In addition, external surface labeling of the cells with lactoperoxidase showed clear differences between control and arthritic synoviocytes in the region of 77-100-kDa proteins. Some of these differences can be reproduced by certain macrophage activators such as phorbol myristate acetate and lipopolysaccharide acting on synoviocytes in vitro and in vivo respectively. These results exclude the possibility that the changes observed were due to a possible infiltration of other cell types in the arthritic synovia and strongly support the existence of an activated state of synoviocytes associated with arthritis induction.

Synergy between adjuvant arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats is susceptible to cell-mediated passive transfer. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats is susceptible to passive transfer with antibody to type II collagen. We report here the development of strikingly severe arthritis in Lewis rats as the result of synergy between passively transferred antibody to type II collagen from rats with CIA and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated lymph node or spleen cells from syngeneic rats with AA. Similar synergy was seen in rats with AA given anticollagen antibody, in rats with CIA given Con A-stimulated adjuvant spleen cells, and in rats actively immunized with CII and complete Freund's adjuvant. The synergistic process caused a very severe polyarthritis, characterized by marked swelling and erythema in all the joints of the distal extremities, with histologic and radiographic evidence of early, extensive erosion of articular cartilage. Synergy was apparent if the lymphoid cells from AA rats were given up to 1 mo after a single injection of anticollagen antibody. No synergy was seen when normal rat immunoglobulin or anti-ovalbumin antibody was substituted for anticollagen antibody, when Con A-stimulated lymphoid cells from normal rats or donors with CIA were used, or when Con A-stimulated AA lymphoid cells were irradiated before transfer. Synergy between separate immune effector mechanisms may represent a general phenomenon in the pathogenesis of inflammatory joint disease.

The study and manipulation of experimental autoimmune disease using T lymphocyte lines

Autoimmune diseases include entities of varied clinical expression such as juvenile onset diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and thyroiditis. Nevertheless, these autoimmune diseases have a common origin; they are caused by clones of lymphocytes that specially attack the individual's own body components. To study autoimmune processes, we have isolated and grown as long-term cell lines the T lymphocytes that mediate several different experimental autoimmune diseases in rats or mice. These cell lines have increased our understanding of pathogenesis, but perhaps more importantly, it appears that suitably attenuated lines can be used to immunize the individual animal against its own autoimmune cells. Thus, autoimmune cells can be used as vaccines to prevent or treat the autoimmune process.

Adjuvant polyarthritis. VIII. Differences in immunopathogenesis between type II collagen arthritis and adjuvant arthritis

The severity of type II collagen-induced arthritis was found to correlate with the serum titers of anti-type II collagen antibody, but not with cell-mediated immunity to type II collagen. In contrast, no significant levels of either the humoral or the cell-mediated immunity to type II collagen were found in rats with Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritis. Pre-treatment of young rats with an oily preparation of type II collagen prevented the development of arthritis in these animals in response to a subsequent injection of oily preparation of type II collagen, but had no effect on the development of arthritis in response to a subsequent injection of Freund's complete adjuvant. It is concluded that while an immune response directed toward the injected type II collagen is responsible for the development of type II collagen arthritis, it does not play an important role in the induction of Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Collagen-induced and adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Post-immunization treatment with collagen to suppress or abrogate the arthritic response

Immunization of Lewis rats with native type II collagen results in an inflammatory arthritis and increased humoral and cellular immune responses to type II collagen. The exposure of rats to native type II collagen at day 7 or 10 after immunization suppressed the incidence of arthritis and anticollagen antibody levels, although the cellular response was not affected. The exposure to denatured type II collagen offered partial protection, while type I collagen had no significant effect. Rats immunized with Mycobacterium tuberculosis also showed reduced arthritic response when subsequently treated with type II collagen. The common modalities between the 2 models and the possible role of type II collagen in the interference with the inflammatory arthritic events are discussed.

Pathogenetic difference between collagen arthritis and adjuvant arthritis

Daily treatment with cyclosporin at a dose of 25 mg/kg for 14 d gave complete suppression of the development of collagen arthritis and adjuvant arthritis in Sprague-Dawley rats during an observation period of 45 d. To study whether the immunologic unresponsiveness produced by cyclosporin is antigen specific, we rechallenged the cyclosporin-protected rats with either type II collagen or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) after discontinuation of cyclosporin treatment. Type II collagen-immunized, cyclosporin-protected rats did not develop arthritis in response to reimmunization with type II collagen, but, they did develop arthritis in response to a subsequent injection of CFA. Similarly, CFA-injected, cyclosporin-protected rats showed a suppressed arthritogenic reaction in response to reinjection of CFA, whereas their response to a subsequent immunization with type II collagen was unaffected. On the other hand, the rats that were treated with cyclosporin without any prior antigenic challenge could develop arthritis in response to a subsequent injection of CFA or type II collagen after cessation of cyclosporin treatment. These results indicate that specific immunologic unresponsiveness can be induced by cyclosporin in the two experimental models of polyarthritis, collagen arthritis and adjuvant arthritis, and that there is no cross-reactivity between type II collagen and the mycobacterial cell wall components. The results further indicate that immunity to type II collagen plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of collagen arthritis but that its pathogenetic role in adjuvant arthritis is insignificant.

Arthritis induced in rats by cloned T lymphocytes responsive to mycobacteria but not to collagen type II

We have been studying the pathogenesis of adjuvant arthritis in rats using a long-term cell line of T lymphocytes, the A2 line, which can induce polyarthritis and can also be used to vaccinate rats against adjuvant arthritis. Although line A2 was selected for its proliferative response to mycobacteria, it also responded to collagen type II. To elucidate its role of responsiveness to collagen type II and the relationship between arthritogenicity and vaccination, we cloned A2 and selected a subline A2b. We now report that subline A2b, which bore a marker of helper/delayed hypersensitivity T lymphocytes, was strongly arthritogenic, but could not vaccinate against arthritis. Moreover, A2b showed no response to collagen type II. Therefore, reactivity to collagen type II is not a requisite for arthritogenicity, and mediation of arthritis and vaccination can be distinct properties of different populations of T lymphocytes.

The cellular basis of adjuvant arthritis. II. Characterization of the cells mediating passive transfer

It has previously been reported that lymph node or spleen cells from rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis can transfer the disease to normal recipients after being cultured with concanavalin A (Con A). In this report, it is shown that a subpopulation of cells that (1) lack surface Ig and the antigen reactive with the monoclonal antibody OX8, (2) are largely nonadherent and esterase negative, and (3) are predominantly marked by the monoclonal antibody W3/25 can transfer arthritis after stimulation with Con A. Adjuvant-sensitized lymph node or spleen cells stimulated with Con A but not PHA transfer arthritis, and this difference correlates with relatively higher levels of interleukin 2 secretion by Con A-stimulated cells. A synthetic adjuvant, CP-20961, a substituted propanediamine, induces arthritis that is passively transferable under the same conditions as arthritis induced by classical mycobacterium-containing adjuvant. The data support the hypothesis that adjuvant inoculation in the rat results in the induction of a unique subpopulation of T cells that initiate the inflammatory joint disease.

The cellular basis of adjuvant arthritis. I. Enhancement of cell-mediated passive transfer by concanavalin A and by immunosuppressive pretreatment of the recipient

Two reliable systems for the cell-mediated passive transfer of adjuvant arthritis have been developed. Donor rats were sensitized with Mycobacterium butyricum in mineral oil. In the first system, intravenous injection of adjuvant-sensitized donor lymph node or spleen cells into adult-thymectomized, lethally irradiated, bone marrow cell-reconstituted syngeneic rats induced arthritis in the recipients. In the second system, adjuvant-sensitized donor lymph node or spleen cells were cultured in vitro with concanavalin A; these cells induced arthritis in normal recipients as well as in thymectomized, irradiated, bone marrow cell-reconstituted recipients. The passively transferred disease in both systems resembled classical adjuvant-induced arthritis clinically, radiographically, and histologically. Neither irradiated, adjuvant-sensitized donor cells nor cells from donors not injected with complete adjuvant could passively transfer arthritis.