The in vitro and in vivo induction of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies in normal and autoimmune mice.

To determine whether the existence of anti-dsDNA producing lymphocyte clones is limited to autoimmune strains of mice, spleen cells derived from autoimmune mice (NZB, NZB X NZW F1, MRL) and from normal strains (BALB/c, DBA/2, C57BL/6, C3H/eb) were cultured with E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DNase-treated supernatants from these cultures were assayed for anti-dsDNA antibodies by employing a sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay with poly (dA-dT) as the antigen. All tested spleen cells secreted a small yet significant amount of anti-dsDNA upon stimulation with LPS. There was no difference in the amount or in the heavy chain type of anti-dsDNA secreted by cells from normal and autoimmune strain cells. Evidence of clonal expansion in unstimulated cells was observed only in cultures prepared from older autoimmune animals. Removal of T cells from the spleen cell preparations had no marked effect on the spontaneous or stimulated antibody secretion. Anti-dsDNA antibodies could also be induced in vivo by i.p. injection of LPS into young normal animals. Splenocytes from all tested strains spontaneously secreted anti-ssDNA and anti-TNP antibodies in culture, and these were present at relatively high levels in the serum of unstimulated animals. Stimulation with LPS increased secretion of anti-ssDNA and anti-TNP in all strains in vitro and in five of seven strains in vivo as well. It can be concluded that a) the existence of anti-dsDNA-producing clones is not limited to autoimmune strains, and b) these clones are expanded in old but not in young autoimmune mice. They are not expanded in normal mice at any age.