title: Isolation of T-cell clones with specificity for arterial antigen from spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been postulated that hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) results from autoimmune damage to the SHR vasculature. The objective of this study was to isolate autoreactive T-cells specific for arterial antigens, and to characterize these cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of autoreactive T-cells in the SHR has not been studied previously. Lymphocytes were isolated from spleens obtained from SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats aged 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Limiting dilution analysis was used to clone and to establish arterial antigen-reactive T-cell clones. The specificity of these clones was assessed by measuring lymphokine production and T-cell proliferation induced by arterial antigen and by irrelevant control antigens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the SHR, regardless of age, possessed arterial antigen-specific CD4+, major histocompatability complex class II-restricted T-cells. The responses of freshly isolated spleen cells to arterial antigen were weaker than the proliferative responses of interleukin-2-expanded T-cells to arterial antigen. The T-cell clones also produced interleukin-2, interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma in response to arterial antigen. However, the presence of T-cells specific for arterial antigen is not unique to SHR, since a similar response was seen in normotensive WKY rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate the existence of T-cells specific for arterial antigen in the spleens of both SHR and WKY rats. Thus, arterial antigen-reactive T-cells cannot be the initial cause of hypertension, but the activation of such autoreactive T-cells might be important in the development of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, Utica, New York 13501-1787.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ofosu-Appiah
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001158:Arteries / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens; D015551:Autoimmunity; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001324:Autoantigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines