[Immunoregulation disturbance in experimental allergic neuritis. The cellular and humoral mediated immunological...

The cellular and humoral mediated immune responses were investigated in the rabbits with experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) induced by the myelin basic protein (MBP) purified from the human sciatic nerve. The cellular mediated immunity to MBP were assayed by skin testing and lymphocytes transformation. The antibodies to myelin and muscle, the immunoglobulin deposits in the nerve and tissues respectively were detected by indirect and direct immunoenzyme assays. In rabbits with EAN, the skin tests became positive at the onset of EAN. There was a significantly higher index of the lymphocytes transformation in the EAN than in normal animals. At the height of the disease, the anti-muscle antibody titres were high. The granular deposits containing IgG were found in sciatic nerve and heart. The results favour cellular and humoral mediated immunological damage as the most important pathogenetic mechanism in EAN.