Ga. Hanley et al., RESISTANCE TO HGCL2-INDUCED AUTOIMMUNITY IN HAPLOTYPE-HETEROZYGOUS MICE IS AN INTRINSIC PROPERTY OF B-CELLS, The Journal of immunology (1950), 161(4), 1998, pp. 1778-1785
Exposure to low doses of mercury chloride induces autoantibodies to th
e nucleolar protein fibrillarin in H-2(s), but not in H-2(b), mice. Su
rprisingly, F-1 crosses between resistant and sensitive haplotypes are
resistant. Previously, we have shown that the resistance in these F-1
mice was due to coexpression of the resistant class II allele, Using
adoptive transfer techniques we have examined several mechanisms by wh
ich the resistant haplotype could be down-regulating the antifibrillar
in response in F-1 (s/b) mice. Similar to other autoimmune models, mer
cury-induced autoimmunity requires cognate MHC-restricted T cell help.
The absence of autoantibody production in F-1 mice was not due to a d
ifference in thymic education or to the absence of antifibrillarin-spe
cific T cell help. These results suggest that the resistance is due to
an intrinsic property of the haplotype-heterozygous B cells.