PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mauri, C
AU  - Chu, C Q
AU  - Woodrow, D
AU  - Mori, L
AU  - Londei, M
TI  - Treatment of a newly established transgenic model of chronic arthritis with nondepleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody.
DP  - 1997 Nov 15
TA  - The Journal of Immunology
PG  - 5032--5041
VI  - 159
IP  - 10
4099  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/159/10/5032.short
4100  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/159/10/5032.full
SO  - J. Immunol.1997 Nov 15; 159
AB  - We established a novel animal model for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by following backcrossing to DBA/1 of (SWR/J x DBA/1)F1 TCR-beta Tg mice, previously reported to be highly susceptible to collagen-induced arthritis. These mice evolved, upon collagen type II immunization, into a chronic arthritis that histopathologically resembles RA. The availability of such a model prompted us to study the role of CD4+ T cells throughout the evolution of disease. Here, we show that administration of nondepleting anti-CD4 not only prevented the evolution of disease but also treated established arthritis. Moreover, functional analyses of T cells isolated from anti-CD4-treated mice demonstrated that the mechanism of protection is not achieved by suppression of the Th1 population but is mediated by induction of collagen type II-specific T cell anergy. Our study suggests that: 1) CD4+ T cells have a fundamental role both in the induction and in the perpetuation of disease; 2) targeting T cells may be an appropriate therapeutic option; and 3) a suitable and well-balanced anti-CD4 treatment may be a valid approach to the control of RA.