Yersinia-associated arthritis in rats: effect of 65 kDa heat shock protein, bovine serum albumin and incomplete Freund's adjuvant.
OBJECTIVE
We have previously shown that the microbial load of rats has a significant effect on their susceptibility to Yersinia-associated arthritis. In this study our aim was to see whether mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock protein (hsp) could induce the same suppressive effect in experimental Yersinia-associated arthritis as has been reported for arthritides induced by adjuvant, pristane, or streptococcal cell walls (SCW).


METHODS
Arthritis was induced by the intravenous injection of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:8 into Lewis rats. Hsp, bovine serum albumin (BSA) or NaCl, administered in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), was given subcutaneously on day -5 or +5 with regard to the bacterial inoculation.


RESULTS
Mycobacterial hsp given in IFA on day -5 significantly suppressed the development of arthritis. However, a similar suppression was observed with BSA or NaCl given in IFA.


CONCLUSIONS
These results, together with those known from the effect of microbial load, suggest that susceptibility to Yersinia-associated arthritis is easily affected by external factors.
Gripenberg-Lerche
C
C
Department of Medical Microbiology, Turku University, Finland.
Toivanen
A
A
Toivanen
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D018833:Chaperonins / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000276:immunology*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; C074119:heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D018833:Chaperonins