Immune rainbow trout serum has an anti-proliferation effect on isolated mouse T-cells: Possible autoimmune downregulatory implications

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is generally believed to involve an autoimmune syndrome in which affected individuals experience degradation of the myelin sheath in the central nervous system. In this study, rainbow trout were immunized with myelin basic protein and myelin in an attempt to induce a myelin-specific autoimmune response using the experimentally induced autoimmune response in Lewis rats as a model. Subsequent to immunization, rainbow trout antibodies to myelin basic protein were detected via an ELISA. Although clinical signs of nerve dysfunction were never apparent, disease due to demyelinization cannot be ruled out until histological studies are performed. It is shown that both rainbow trout immune and normal sera exert an inhibitory affect on the mitogenic stimulation of isolated mouse splenic T-cells. This in vitro inhibitory activity, which is clearly greater in immune serum, is hypothesized to be derived from a nonspecific antiinflammatory factor. While the identity of the factor(s) is not yet known, likely possibilities are discussed.