Recurrence of insulitis in the NOD mouse after early prolonged anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody treatment

Abstract

The treatment of young NOD mice with continuous anti-CD4 mAb administration has previously been shown to prevent insulitis from developing. It has also been shown that insulitis, once present, can be abolished by anti-CD4 mAb treatment, but that the insulitis recurs after treatment stops. We have studied the effect of treating young NOD/Wehi mice with a limited course of anti-CD4 mAb to determine if any long term prevention of insulitis ensued. Anti-CD4 mAb (H129.19) was given i.p. weekly to 10 female NOD/Wehi mice from 25-100 days of age. Control mice received no treatment. The pancreas of the mice were examined histologically at 100 and 180 days of age and severity of insulitis graded from 0-100%. The insulitis grade in treated mice at 100 days was 5 +/- 2% compared with 29 +/- 26% in age matched control mice (p less than 0.01). At 180 days of age the insulitis grade in treated mice was 29 +/- 23% compared with 47 +/- 22% in aged matched controls (NS). Thus insulitis was prevented from developing by early treatment with anti-CD4 mAb but developed later when treatment was stopped. Early anti-CD4 mAb treatment does not therefore appear to produce a tolerant state so averting insulitis development and, insulitis can still develop in older NOD mice.