Immunization of naïve mice with mouse laminin-1 affected pregnancy outcome in a mouse model.
OBJECTIVE
Laminins have important roles during placental and embryonic development. The aim of our study was to determine if active immunization of mice with laminin-1 could elicit an autoimmune response, and induce features of reproductive failure.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were immunized with mouse laminin-1. Autoantibodies to laminin-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pregnant mice were killed on day 14 of pregnancy and examined for pregnancy outcome.


RESULTS
Mice immunized with laminin-1 developed elevated levels of anti-laminin-1 auto-antibodies contrary to the control group. A higher fetal resorption rate was found in the laminin-1 immunized group (23.8%) compared with that of the control group (12.2%), and was even higher in the subgroup of those animals with very high levels of anti-laminin-1 (P < 0.01). Laminin-1 immunized mice also had lower fetal and placental weights.


CONCLUSIONS
Active immunization with laminin-1 followed by elevated circulating anti-laminin-1 antibodies results in reproductive failure manifested by a higher fetal resorption rate.
Matalon
Shelly Tartakover
ST
Research Center for autoimmune diseases, Department of Medicine B Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Blank
Miri
M
Matsuura
Eiji
E
Inagaki
Junko
J
Nomizu
Motoyoshi
M
Levi
Yair
Y
Koike
Takao
T
Shere
Yaniv
Y
Ornoy
Asher
A
Shoenfeld
Yehuda
Y
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005327:Fetal Resorption / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007797:Laminin / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007797:Laminin; C121346:laminin 1