Circulating T-cell populations during mercuric chloride-induced nephritis in the Brown Norway rat. |
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Authors: | C Bowman C Green L Borysiewicz C M Lockwood |
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Affiliation: | MRC Clinical Immunology Research Group, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, U.K. |
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Abstract: | Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis was used to study the peripheral lymphocyte populations during mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced autoimmune nephritis in the Brown Norway (BN) rat. Sequential studies showed a transient loss of T cells from peripheral blood attributable to decreases in the percentage of T-helper cells. In addition, there was a decrease in the percentage of T-cytotoxic/suppressor cells prior to the appearance of circulating anti-GBM antibodies, followed by elevated levels of T-suppressor cells during down-regulation of the response. This method may allow closer inspection of the events linking changes in T-cell populations and induction and termination of an autoimmune response. |
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