Study of cellular immunity in experimental autoimmune hepatitis in mice: transfer of spleen cells sensitized with liver proteins.

This study was based on our model of experimental autoimmune hepatitis produced by immunizing C57BL/6 (B6) mice with syngeneic liver proteins and Freund's complete adjuvant. Spleen cells obtained from these hepatitis mice were transferred to syngeneic normal recipient mice, and histological changes occurring in the liver and the role of cellular immunity in producing liver damages in recipient mice were investigated. Sensitized spleen cells from these immunized (donor) mice were fractionated by a nylon wool column and injected intravenously into normal B6 mice. Histology of the liver of the recipient mice showed mild infiltration of mononuclear cells around the periportal area 7 days after the transfer of sensitized spleen cells, and changes were most prominent in the mice injected with the fraction of nylon wool column adherent spleen cells. Induction of these liver lesions in the recipient mice was blocked by treatment of sensitized donor spleen cells with anti-Thy 1,2 monoclonal antibody and guinea pig complement before injection. Lymphocyte reactivity to liver-specific lipoprotein (LSP) in recipient mice was studied by a lymphocyte transformation system, and a high immune response was demonstrated with the fraction of nylon wool column non-adherent (T-enriched) spleen cells. These data seem to indicate T-cell interactions between donor and recipient mice in the transfer study using our experimental autoimmune hepatitis model.