title: Arthritis in mice: allogeneic pregnancy protects more than syngeneic by attenuating cellular immune response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that collagen induced arthritis benefits more from allogeneic pregnancy than syngeneic pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Arthritis was induced in female B10.RIII (H-2r) mice by injecting bovine type II collagen. Female mice were subsequently paired, one group with q-haplotype males (B10.Q) and the other with r-haplotype males (B10.RIII). The effect of q- and r-haplotype was measured by determining the acute phase reactant serum amyloid A (m-SAA), bovine anti-collagen type II antibodies (a-CBII), and the ratio of CD4/CD8 T lymphocytes during pregnancy and after delivery. Clinical assessment of arthritis was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of mice with maximum severity of clinical arthritis was significantly higher in the syngeneic group (11/20 vs 5/21; p = 0.04). Although we noted that in the allogeneic group the females had had a significantly higher level of a-CBII during pregnancy (p = 0.02), we also found that the ratio of CD4/CD8 was higher in the syngeneic group even if it was measured during (p = 0.04) or after gestation (p = 0.05). Taking into account all the cases of arthritis initiated in the post-gestational period there was no difference in m-SAA or in a-CBII between the 2 groups, but the ratio of CD4/CD8 was higher in the syngeneic group measured during (p = 0.03) or post gestation (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allogeneic pregnancy benefits more than syngeneic pregnancy by attenuating the cellular immune response, and the ratio of CD4/CD8 indicates the attenuation of cellular immunity when measured during gestation or post partum.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Hospital de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: Delia Almeida
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Antonio Cabrera
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de León
authors.forename: Carmen Vázquez
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Moncholi
authors.forename: Juan De Castro
authors.initials: Jde C
authors.lastname: Córdova
authors.forename: Luciano Bello
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D015994:Incidence; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007519:Isoantigens