title: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induction in genetically B cell-deficient mice.
abstract: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model for autoimmune central nervous system disease mediated by CD4 T cells. To examine the role of B cells in the induction of EAE, we used B10.PL (I-Au) mice rendered deficient in B cells by deletion of their mu chain transmembrane region (B10.PLmicroMT). By immunizing B10.PL and B10.PLmicroMT mice with the NH-terminal myelin basic protein encephalitogenic peptide Ac1-11, we observed no difference in the onset or severity of disease in the absence of mature B cells. There was, however, a greater variation in disease onset, severity, and especially of recovery in the B cell-deficient mice compared to controls. B10.PLmicroMT mice rarely returned to normal in the absence of B cells. Taken together, our data suggest that B cells do not play a role in the activation of encephalitogenic T cells, but may contribute to the immune modulation of acute EAE. The mechanisms to explain these effects are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Section of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Dittel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hardardottir
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Janeway
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger