Immunomodulation of relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

Mice immunized to produce relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (R-EAE) were treated with immunomodulating agents known to affect acute monophasic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Pretreatment with either mouse spinal cord or myelin basic protein in incomplete Freund's adjuvant decreased the incidence of R-EAE from 77% to 28 and 31%, respectively. Single doses of cyclophosphamide (CY) at the time of immunization did not affect development of R-EAE. CY given repetitively in low doses decreased the incidence of R-EAE to 10%. Therefore, R-EAE can be altered by immunomodulation, but the patterns differ from those seen in acute EAE.