Ocular inflammation in autoimmune MRL/Mp mice.

Congenic mice of the MRL/Mp strain spontaneously develop an autoimmune connective tissue disease that shares immunologic and histopathologic features with the human disorders systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic vasculitis. The autoimmune disorder in these mice is markedly accelerated by the recessive gene lpr. Older MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice develop significant inflammatory ocular disease, including choroiditis, scleritis, and orbital vasculitis. Animals of both the MRL/Mp-+/+ and MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr substrains develop lacrimal gland inflammatory infiltrates. The MRL/Mp mouse provides a potential model for ocular inflammatory disease and for Sjögren's syndrome.