Proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal dogs and dogs with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia to red blood cell antigens.

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), one of the most common autoimmune diseases of the dog, is characterised by binding of autoantibody to erythrocyte membrane antigens leading to a decreased red blood cell (RBC) life-span. Failure of self-tolerance with activation of autoreactive T-lymphocytes is thought to play a key role in the initiation of such autoimmune events. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 11 clinically normal dogs, six clinically normal relatives of two littermate dogs which died from AIHA, and four dogs which had recovered from primary AIHA. Cells were stimulated in vitro with a panel of canine RBC-derived antigens (RBC membranes, glycophorin, spectrin, five 15-mer glycophorin peptides), the non-recall antigen keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH), and the mitogen concanavalin A (Con A). The kinetics of the proliferative responses to specific antigens were assessed by serially sampling the cultures from days 4 to 10. PBMC from all dogs responded strongly to Con A (day 2) and to KLH (maximal response on days 7 to 10) under appropriate culture conditions. Two of 11 normal dogs responded weakly to RBC membranes (mean stimulation index = 4.25). In contrast, PBMC from all dogs recovered from AIHA responded to RBC membranes (mean SI = 9.2 +/- 2.5) and occasionally to other erythrocyte antigens. Similar responses were recorded with PBMC from dogs related to AIHA cases. It is considered that although normal individuals harbour erythrocyte-reactive lymphocytes, such cells are primed in dogs with AIHA or a genetic susceptibility to this disease.