Lymphocyte Proliferation to Collagen Type I in Dogs

The objective of this study was to investigate if cellular reactivity to collagen type I exists in dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture and if it relates to disease progression. The patient group consisted of 10 dogs with unilateral CrCL rupture. The control dogs consisted of three healthy control dogs, and two healthy dogs with unilateral sham operations of the stifle joint. All dogs were assayed repeatedly every 6 months for 12–24 months. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from whole blood and were cultured with human collagen type I at concentrations of 5, 20 and 40 μg/ml for 6 and 7 days. Lymphocyte reactivity to collagen type I occurred not only in dogs with CrCL rupture, but also in sham‐operated dogs and healthy dogs. Five of the eight assays (63%) performed at the time of operation or at the time of diagnosis of CrCL rupture had a stimulation index (SI) ≥3.0. This was not significantly different compared to healthy control dogs, not to the sham‐operated control dogs. The CrCL rupture was assessed intraoperatively in six cases. Three cases had partial rupture and three had complete rupture. Only one dog with partial rupture, and two dogs with complete rupture had a positive SI. An increase in proliferation to collagen type I was seen in dogs with CrCL rupture, whereas it either remained stable or decreased in the control dogs. No distinct pattern in lymphocyte reactivity to collagen type I could be established from the dogs that sustained a CrCL rupture in the contralateral stifle joint, although most dogs that did not sustain a CrCL rupture in the contralateral stifle joint remained negative during this study with exception of one dog. Further research is required to determine whether cellular reactivity to collagen type I may play an initiating role in cruciate degradation.