Induction of chronic polyarthritis in rabbits by hyperimmunization with Escherichia coli. I. Pathologic and serologic features in two breeds of rabbits.

Hyperimmunization of 147 rabbits (outbred Japanese white rabbits and New Zealand white [NZW] rabbits bred in a closed colony) with heat-killed Escherichia coli 0:14 in Freund's incomplete adjuvant resulted in the animals developing a chronic polyarthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While both Japanese white and NZW rabbits showed a high incidence of the induced arthritis, a higher proportion of NZW rabbits developed the disease, suggesting that genetic influence is important in the development of RA-like illness. This experimental model may be useful for the study of RA.