ACUTE AND RELAPSING EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN IL-4-DEFICIENT AND ALPHA BETA-T-CELL-DEFICIENT C57BL/6 MICE/

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis follows a chronic relapsing course in several inbred strains of mice. To address the role of T cel ls in recovery and relapse, the clinical course of EAE was compared in C57BL/6 (B6) normal and immunodeficient mice following active immuniz ation with MOG p35-55 or adoptive transfer of encephalitogenic peptide -specific T cell lines. The course of actively-induced EAE in B6 wild- type and IL-4 -/- mice was similar. B6 TL-4 -/- mice recovered normall y from acute passive EAE, but did not relapse in contrast to wild-type B6 mice. EAE was progressive in B6 RAG - / - and alpha/beta TCR -/ - mice, but the disease course could be arrested by infusion of normal s pleen cells. When non-activated MOG peptide-specific T cells were tran sferred to wild-type or alpha/beta TCR -/- mice, spontaneous disease e nsued in the mutants only. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.