Gastrointestinal vasculitis in autoimmune-prone (NZW X BXSB)F1 mice: association with anticardiolipin autoantibodies.
Gastrointestinal vasculitis is a fatal aspect of systemic lupus erythematosus. Whether lupus-prone strains of mice develop gastrointestinal vasculitis, and whether it is accompanied by elevated titres of anticardiolipin autoantibody is not known. Lupus-prone (NZW X BXSB)F1 (W/BF1) mice, and other strains were examined immunohistologically. Levels of anticardiolipin autoantibody and circulating immune complexes were determined by microELISA. Reciprocal haploidentical marrow transplantations between W/BF1 and autoimmune-resistent B6C3F1 mice were made. Young adult W/BF1 mice had the highest incidence of gastrointestinal vasculitis (61%), and the highest mean titre of anticardiolipin autoantibody. Lesions consisted of subintimal fibrinoid degeneration in arterioles of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and were prevented, or alternatively induced by reciprocal marrow transplantations between W/BF1 and B6C3F1 mice. Mice engrafted with W/BF1 marrow which developed vasculitis had higher titres of anticardiolipin autoantibodies than engrafted mice free of vasculitis (P < 0.005). This represents the first report of gastrointestinal vasculitis as an aspect of systemic autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice. The concurrent elevation of anticardiolipin autoantibody and development of vasculitis suggests that anticardiolipin autoantibodies, and their proposed thrombogenic and vascular injury consequences, contribute to development of microvasculitis in lupus-prone mice.
Mizutani
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg 33701, USA.
Engelman
R W
RW
Kinjoh
K
K
Good
R A
RA
D000818:Animals; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex