Responses against complex antigens in various models of CD4 T-cell deficiency: surprises from an anti-CD4 antibody transgenic mouse.
The most common models of CD4 T-cell deficiency are mice exogenously injected with anti-CD4 antibody (Ab), CD4 knockout (CD4-/-) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II knockout (class II-/-) mice. We recently described the anti-CD4 Ab transgenic mouse (GK) as an improved CD4 cell-deficient model. This review compares this new GK mouse model with the widely available class II-/- and CD4-/- mice, when exposed to complex antigens (foreign grafts and during bacterial or viral infection). We highlight here the cytometric and functional differences (including Ab isotype, viral or bacterial clearance, and graft survival) among these CD4 cell-deficient models. For example, whereas grafts are generally rejected in class II-/- and CD4-/- mice as quickly as in wild-type mice, they survive longer in GK mice. Also, CD4-/- mice produce IgG against both simple model and complex antigens, but class II-/- and GK mice produce small amounts of IgG2a against complex antigens but not simple model antigens. These differences harbinger the caveats in the use of these various mice.
Zhan
Yifan
Y
Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Melbourne 3050, Australia.
Brown
Lorena E
LE
Deliyannis
Georgia
G
Seah
Shirley
S
Wijburg
Odilia L
OL
Price
Jason
J
Strugnell
Richard A
RA
O'Connell
Phillip J
PJ
Lew
Andrew M
AM
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II