Reduced susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis in mice deficient in IFN-gamma receptor.
Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is an arthritic model that was developed after immunization with type II collagen (CII). Apparently, contradictory results have been reported regarding the role of IFN-gamma in the development of CIA. Therefore, we employed IFN-gamma R-deficient mice to study the role of IFN-gamma. To introduce the CIA susceptibility gene (H-2q), IFN-gamma R-deficient (H-2b/b/IFN-gamma R-/-) mice were mated with DBA/1 (H-2q/q/IFN-gamma R+/+) mice; next, the F1 mice were interbred to yield F2 offspring bearing different combinations of H-2 (H-2q/q, H-2q/b, and H-2b/b) and IFN-gamma R (IFN-gamma R+/+, IFN-gamma R+/-, and IFN-gamma R-/-) genes. Although the H-2q allele appeared to confer susceptibility to CIA, mice that were homozygous for the IFN-gamma R mutation showed a substantially decreased incidence and severity of CIA. The CII-specific IgG levels of serum samples, which are known to be involved in the development of CIA, were remarkably reduced in IFN-gamma R-/- mice. Furthermore, the anti-CII IgG2a levels controlled by IFN-gamma R were significantly reduced in IFN-gamma R-/- F2 mice compared with those seen in IFN-gamma R+/+ and IFN-gamma R+/- mice, although the levels of all IgG subclass Abs examined were lower in IFN-gamma R-/- mice than in IFN-gamma R+/+ mice. No clear evidence of the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cytokines was observed in CII-immunized, IFN-gamma R-deficient mice. Taken together, these results suggest that IFN-gamma exacerbates CIA by affecting, at least, levels of CII-specific IgG Ab rather than the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Y
Y
Kageyama
Y
Y
Koide
A
A
Yoshida
M
M
Uchijima
T
T
Arai
S
S
Miyamoto
T
T
Ozeki
M
M
Hiyoshi
K
K
Kushida
T
T
Inoue
D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015994:Incidence; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
D003094:Collagen; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor