Suppression of spontaneous murine lupus by inducing graft-versus-host reaction with CD8+ cells

Abstract

Splenic CD8⁺ (Lyt-2⁺) cells of C57BL/6 mice were injected into semiallogeneic (NZB x BXSB)F1 mice, which spontaneously develop lupus nephritis, in order to examine whether the disease was somehow modified by the occurrence of graft-versus-host reaction. The development of lupus nephritis in the F1 recipients was strongly inhibited and immunopathological parameters such as anti-DNA antibodies, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and splenic immunoglobulin-producing cells (IgPC) were markedly reduced. The injection of CD4⁺ (L3T4⁺)Tcells into F1 recipients did not result in similar effects. These findings suggest that the development of autoimmune disease could be ameliorated by CD8⁺ cells responding to MHC class I antigens. The significance of the data is discussed in terms of the treatment of autoimmune diseases.