Mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis: requirement for T-cells

Mercury-induced autoimmunity in Brown-Norway rats has been shown previously to be due to polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes, requiring the presence of T lymphocytes. Autoimmunity in that strain is characterised by the appearance of an autoimmune glomerulonephritis, by the production of a host of autoantibodies, and by an increase in total serum IgE. In the present study, T-cell deprived rats were tested to assess the role of T cells in the appearance of autoimmune abnormalities in vivo. It will be shown that both BN rnu/rnu and BN 'B' rats, who have virtually no T cells, do not develop autoimmunity following HgCl2 injections. In contrast BN 'B' rats reconstituted with normal T cells, and BN rnu/+ rats, exhibit autoimmune manifestations, including autoimmune glomerulonephritis, quite similar to those observed in Brown-Norway rats. These data demonstrate that T cells are essential for mercury-induced autoimmunity to occur in Brown-Norway rats.