Early rheumatoid-like synovial lesions in rabbits drinking cow's milk. II. Antibody responses to bovine serum proteins.

Thirty-six percent of Old English rabbits fed pasteurized cow's milk developed early rheumatoid-like synovial lesions. All rabbits drinking milk developed high titres of serum and synovial fluid Clq-binding activity. This has been shown to be due to specific antibody to Clq, produced in response to Clq in cow's milk. In addition, these rabbits responded to other bovine proteins present in cow's milk, including conglutinin, beta-lactoglobulin and IgG. There was no correlation between serum or synovial fluid titres of antibody to bovine milk proteins and synovial lesions.