title: X-irradiation of the thymus is not required for the induction of cyclosporine-induced autoimmunity.
abstract: The thymus-dependent model of cyclosporine-induced autoimmunity (CsA-AI) in the Lewis rat requires a lethal total body X-irradiation and rescue with syngeneic or autologous bone marrow and cyclosporine (CsA) administration for at least 4 weeks; two to three weeks after cessation of CsA, the animals develop a graft-versus-host-like disease. The obligatory role of the thymus in the etiology of CsA-AI has been established unequivocally, but the way in which disease is thymus dependent is a topic of debate. In the present study we demonstrate that the model of CsA-AI requires the presence of a thymus for at least 2 weeks after total body irradiation and CsA administration, but that X-irradiation of the thymus itself is not necessary to bring about disease. Transplantation of neonatal thymus shows in addition that in the absence of X-irradiation of the thymus, CsA therapy is required to generate autoreactive cells, but that disease occurs only if peripheral autoregulatory cells are eliminated by X-irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Beijleveld
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Damoiseaux
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Wodzig
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Van Breda Vriesman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine