Spontaneous development of autoimmune sialadenitis in aging BDF1 mice.

This study reports that spontaneous autoimmune sialadenitis developed in aging female, rather than male, BDF1 mice. The lesions first appeared in 6-month-old female BDF1 mice and were aggravated with advancing age, especially in 24-month-old and 30-month-old senescent mice. In contrast, significant inflammatory changes did not develop in aging male BDF1 mice. The presence of antisalivary duct antibody was found in sera from mice with sialadenitis. The infiltrating cells in the lesions of submandibular salivary glands were mainly composed of T cells, especially Lyt 1+ and L3T4+ cells. Moreover, mild inflammatory lesions were observed in parotid, sublingual salivary glands, pancreas, or kidneys in some mice that developed spontaneously occurring sialadenitis.