title: Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice selectively bred to produce high affinity (HA) or low affinity (LA) antibody responses.
abstract: Induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice genetically selected to produce either high affinity (HA) or low affinity (LA) antibody responses has revealed significant differences in disease susceptibility between the two lines. HA mice were highly susceptible to EAE following subcutaneous sensitization to mouse central nervous system (CNS) tissue emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Furthermore, of HA mice surviving acute EAE, up to 93% subsequently developed chronic relapsing disease (CREAE) characterized by variable demyelinating inflammatory changes within the spinal cord. In contrast, LA mice, despite having a major histocompatability complex (MHC) haplotype associated with susceptibility to EAE, were highly resistant to the disease and showed no signs of CREAE when observed for up to 100 days post-sensitization. Antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP) were detected in both lines but rising titres of high functional affinity antibodies were only seen in HA mice. These HA and LA lines of mice provide a new approach to the study of EAE and, in particular, the role of antibody and antibody affinity in the chronic relapsing form of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, U.K.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Devey
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bleasdale-Barr
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dal Canto
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Paterson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology