Suppression of spontaneous murine lupus by inducing graft‐versus‐host reaction with CD8+ cells
Splenic CD8+ (Lyt‐2+) cells of C57BL/6 mice were injected into semiallogeneic (NZB x BXSB)F1 mice, which spontaneously develop lupus nephritis, in order to examine whether the disease was somehow modified by the occurrence of graft‐versus‐host reaction. The development of lupus nephritis in the F1 recipients was strongly inhibited and immunopathological parameters such as anti‐DNA antibodies, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and splenic immunoglobulin‐producing cells (IgPC) were markedly reduced. The injection of CD4+ (L3T4+)Tcells into F1 recipients did not result in similar effects. These findings suggest that the development of autoimmune disease could be ameliorated by CD8+ cells responding to MHC class I antigens. The significance of the data is discussed in terms of the treatment of autoimmune diseases.