INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF DELAYED-TYPE-HYPERSENSITIVITY RESPONSES TO MYELIN IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF THEILERS VIRUS-INDUCED DEMYELINATING DISEASE

The contribution of autoimmune responses to the pathogenesis of Theile r's virus-induced demyelinating disease was investigated, Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to myelin were examined in both symptomati c and asymptomatic mice at different times post-infection, in order to determine whether autoreactivity correlates with the development of d emyelination. The results indicate that although autoimmune responses probably do not play a major role in the initiation of demyelination a t early times post-infection, autoreactivity to myelin antigens dose e ventually develop in symptomatic animals, perhaps through the mechanis m of epitope spreading. Autoimmunity to myelin components is therefore an additional factor that may contribute to lesion progression in chr onically diseased animals.