Murine systemic autoimmune disease induced by mercuric chloride: T helper cells reacting to self proteins.
HgCl2 induces a CD4+ T-cell-dependent systemic autoimmune disease in susceptible strains of rats and mice. In rats, autoreactive T cells were shown to be involved, whereas in mice, attention has focussed on the demonstration of 'Hg-specific' T cells. To clarify these seemingly different T cell involvements, T cells from B10.S mice treated with HgCl2 for 1 or 8 weeks were analyzed for their capacity to mount anamnestic responses against various self antigens (Ags) which either contained Hg or did not. T cells from donors short-term treated with HgCl2 failed to mount memory responses to Hg-free Ags, but mounted a significant response to HgCl2 and also reacted with Hg-containing self Ags. Interestingly, T cells from donors long-term treated with HgCl2 showed a different pattern of reactivity. They hardly reacted to HgCl2 and reacted poorly to Hg-containing splenic proteins, but responded vigorously to nuclei and fibrillarin irrespective of whether these self constituents had been treated with HgCl2 or not. Conceivably, the initial activation of T cells that recognize Hg in combination with nuclear self proteins, such as fibrillarin, eventually results in activation of T cells specific for the unaltered self proteins.
Division of Immunology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany.
M
M
Kubicka-Muranyi
J
J
Kremer
N
N
Rottmann
B
B
Lübben
R
R
Albers
N
N
Bloksma
R
R
Lührmann
E
E
Gleichmann
D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D001324:Autoantigens; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C047458:fibrillarin; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D008628:Mercury