Chronic arthritis of rabbits induced by mycoplasmas. III. Induction with nonviable Mycoplasma arthritidis antigens.

Preexposure of rabbits to Mycoplasma arthritidis predisposed them to subsequent development of chronic inflammation in knee joints challenged with nonviable M arthritidis antigens. Rabbits sensitized by hyperimmunization developed a more severe arthritis than those sensitized by infection. Unsensitized rabbits responded minimally to intraarticular injection of nonviable organisms. These results suggested that an immune response to a persisting mycoplasmal antigen might be capable of sustaining chronic inflammation in rabbits with arthritis induced by viable M arthritidis.