リウマトイド因子に関する実験的研究

抄録

The experimental production of rheumatoid factor and the histological changes in the joint, kidney and other organs were investigated in rats immunized with heterologous proteins and antigen-antibody complexes.
The rats were immunized with egg albumin and human gamma globulin in the first experiment, with egg albumin-rat anti-egg albumin complex in the second experiment and with BSA-rat anti BSA-complex in the third experiment. The rats were treated with these immunogens alone or in Freund's adjuvant.
Serological examinations showed the production of rheumatoid factor like substances (RFLS) in the rats immunized with human gamma globulin, while the rats immunized with egg albumin lacked RFLS.
The administration of immune complexes which were obtained by the addition of antigens to the corresponding rat antisera wat more effective in producing RFLS in rats. The production of RFLS did not always increase by the repeated immunization with immune complexes and showed a tendency to decrease in the course of iummunization.
The induced RFLS was reactive both with rabbit gamma globulin and human gamma globulin, but little with rat gamma globulin.
Histologically, the arthritis was observed in the paw of the limb which was injected with heterologous proteins plus adjuvant or with immune complexes plus adjuvant, but there was no case which developed polyarthritis. The inflamatory lesions involving the joint of the rats, which were given injections of immune complexes, showed a tendency to increase rather than to decrease by the repeated immunization. In this respect the behavior of the joint lesions was different from that of the RFLS which showed a tendency to decrease by the repeated immunization.
In addition to the joint lesions, the glomerulus lisnos also developed in some degree.