title: Dietary copper deficiency and autoimmunity in the NZB mouse.
abstract: NZB mice were exposed from birth to a diet either adequate or deficient in copper. By age 6 wk the mice exposed to the copper-deficient diet showed symptoms characteristic of copper deficiency (anemia, hypoceruloplasminemia, and achromatrichia). The splenic lymphocytes from the copper-deficient group had reduced numbers of cells expressing the following surface markers: Ly-5, Ly-1, B-220, and sIg. Less than 10% of the splenic lymphocytes in this group were cycling, as determined by flow cytometry analysis. The spontaneous 96-h anti-ss-DNA levels in the copper-deficient group were lower than those in the control group. The exogenous colony-forming units (CFUs) were significantly enhanced in the copper-deficient mice. The decreased splenic lymphoid populations, decreased anti-ss-DNA titers, and increased exogenous CFUs in the copper-deficient mice appear to be due to an increase in erythropoiesis at the expense of lymphopoiesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC 20204.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mulhern
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Raveche
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003300:Copper / Q000172:deficiency*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D009929:Organ Size; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001323:Autoantibodies; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin