Cellular and humoral reactivity pattern to the mycobacterial heat shock protein hsp65 in pristane induced arthritis susceptible and hsp65 protected DBA/1 mice.

We have analysed the cellular and humoral immunity to the mycobacterial 65 kD heat shock protein (hsp65) in groups of DBA/1 mice with arthritis induced by intraperitoneal injection of the mineral oil pristane. Here we confirm that DBA/1 mice are highly susceptible to pristane induced arthritis (PIA) and demonstrate that the incidence of arthritis can be modulated by either pretreatment with low dose irradiation or by preimmunisation with recombinant hsp65. Global cellular responses to antigens such as BSA or type II collagen were not enhanced or impaired within groups of arthritic (A) or non-arthritic (NA) mice. However, the cellular response to hsp65 in arthritic animals preimmunised with the 65 kD antigen was significantly elevated in comparison to hsp65 preimmunised mice that were resistant to the induction of disease. On the contrary, the level of hsp65 specific antibodies was much high in NA animals than in PIA mice. CBA/Igb mice are partially susceptible to the induction of PIA. We have previously reported that arthritic CBA/Igb mice have both elevated cellular and humoral reactivity to hsp65. Although a central pivotal role for hsp65 has been postulated in autoimmune diseases these results indicate that there is no simple relationship between the pathogenesis of PIA and immune responses to hsp65.