Induction of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis by T-cell lines.

Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis was induced in genetically susceptible Lewis rats by passive transfer of T-lymphocyte cell lines from long-term cultures primed against soluble retinal antigen (S-Ag). A continuous T-cell line was established from non-adherent lymph node cells of S-Ag-immunized Lewis rats. The lymphoid cells were propagated in vitro by serially restimulating them with S-Ag in the presence of irradiated syngeneic spleen cells and expanding them in IL-2-containing media. The cell lines exhibited markers specific for T lymphocytes and the majority had the helper phenotype. When naïve rats were inoculated intravenously with anti S-Ag T-cell lines re-exposed to the antigen prior to injection, they developed uveoretinitis with both clinical and histological characteristics in half the time required by S-Ag to induce the disease by active immunization. The rats exhibited a delayed hypersensitivity skin reaction towards S-Ag.