Experimental Arthritis Associated with Auto-Immunization to Inflammatory Exudates

Abstract

An inflammatory exudate was induced in rabbits by subcutaneous injection of a 1%. v/v solution of croton oil in arachis oil. This exudate injected into the knee joints of the same or other rabbits resulted in the development of an acute arthritis in some of the animals. In animals previously immunized with the inflammatory exudate, the incidence and the severity of the lesions were significantly greater than in those not immunized. The arthritis in some animals was still active 22 weeks after the intra-articular injection. These results support the possibility that a chronic self-perpetuating lesion may arise on the basis of autoimmunity to inflammatory exudate, irrespective of the initial cause of the inflammation.