APC derived from donor splenocytes support retinal autoimmune disease in allogeneic recipients.

T cell adoptive transfer models of autoimmune disease have been used in conjunction with radiation/bone marrow chimeras to define the minimal requirements for antigen (Ag) recognition. In models with central nervous system Ags, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II compatibility achieved by grafting F1 bone marrow into parental recipients was reported to be necessary and sufficient for transfer of CD4 T cell-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Bone marrow-derived, perivascular microglia are now widely regarded to play a critical role in the expression of experimental autoimmune diseases of the nervous system. Similar results might be expected in the experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis model, as retina is an extension of the brain. Using an allogeneic Ag-presenting cell (APC) adoptive transfer strategy, it was found that resident APC were not essential and that their replacement with MHC-compatible cells by bone marrow-grafting techniques was not necessary. Instead, APC were recruited from the circulation.