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Abstract
In our experimental model of autoimmune vesiculo-prostatitis, obtained by immunization with syngeneic male accessory glands (MAG) and complete Freund's adjuvant, the presence of specific autoreactive cells with cytotoxic activity against prostate antigens was studied.
The specific cytotoxicity generated in MAG immunized rats was tested using 51Cr labelled syngeneic prostate cells or labelled chicken erythrocytes coated with specific antigens (MAG homogenate or chromatographic fractions from prostate homogenate) which were used as target cells in a medium free of complement.
The addition of spleen sensitized cells to prostate cells suspension produced a significant release of “Cr in regard to normal effector cells (11.87 ± SE 1.12 versus 1.5 ± 0.75). Similar results were obtained when MAG-coated erythrocytes were used as target cells (10.87 ± SE 0.62 versus 1.50 ± 0.25). Depletion of T but no B or adherent-cells was shown to abolish the lytic effect indicating that MAG immunization provides determinants which are recognized by sensitized T-cells on cells of the prostate gland where the most severe tissue alterations were previously observed.
Erythrocytes coated with chromatographic fractions obtained from prostate homogenate were used to identify the antigens triggering the lytic effect. It was demonstrated that two fractions (FI and FII) functioned as in vivo sensitizing antigens as well as in vitro activating antigens for themselves. The restimulation in virro of sensitized cells with purified prostate fractions induces an additional lytic effect suggesting that an expansion of effector cells may take place after contacting the antigens at the prostate site.
Confirmatory data on T-cell autoreactivity was obtained through transfer experiments. It was demonstrated that immune T-cells adoptively transferred cytotoxic activity to normal recipients in which tissue alterations were previously described.
The fact that MAG immunization results in the generation of autoreactive cytotoxic cells and the capacity of the sensitized cells to expand and differentiate in response to prostate antigens, strongly suggest their pathogenic role in our experimental model.
