Study on process of rabbit arthritis by immunization of E.coli 0:14 strain

用大肠杆菌0：14免疫家兔，观察关节炎的病理变化。短期（4个月）免疫后，观察到滑膜衬里细胞增生（20/32，62.5%），衬里下层水肿（16/32，50.0%）和滑膜浅层纤维素样沉积（19/32，59.4%）。长期免疫（8 ~ 10个月）后，增生（29/36，80.6%）、水肿（26/36，75.0%）和纤维蛋白样沉积（22/36，61.1%）明显增加。在此期间，血管翳样组织（36个膝关节中有10个：27.8%）和软骨浅层退变（8/36，22.2%），在这些滑膜中，长期免疫后，36个膝关节中有22个观察到淋巴细胞浸润短期免疫组32膝中，有10膝（31.3%）发生免疫反应，两组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。免疫兔血清中类风湿因子样物质（RFLS）出现在首次治疗后3周。首次治疗后15周，22只家兔中有20只（90.9%）RFLS阳性。关于RFLS的出现时间或首次出现有两种模式。免疫8周前RFLS阳性组滑膜中淋巴细胞浸润明显多于免疫8周后RFLS阳性组。这些结果表明，兔关节炎的情况与类风湿性关节炎非常相似。这种动物模型有助于了解这种疾病的发病机制。

Pathological changes of arthritic rabbits immunized with E.coli 0:14 have been studied. After short term (4 months) immunization, hyperplasia of synovial lining cells (20 knees out of 32, 62.5%), edematous change of the sublining layer(16 knees out of 32, 50.0%) and fibrinoid deposition in the superficial layer of the synovium (19 knees out of 32, 59.4%) observed in the synovium of the rabbits knees. After long term (8 - 10 months) immunization, these findings, hyperplasia (29 knees out of 36, 80.6%), edematous change (26 knees out of 36, 75.0%), and fibrinoid deposition (22 knees out of 36, 61 1%) became more remarkable. In this period, pannus like tissue (10 knees out of 36: 27.8%) and degeneration of superficial layer of cartilage (8 knees out of 36, 22.2%) were also found. In these synovium, lymphocyte infiltration following long term immunization was noted in 22 knees out of 36(61.1%) which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than in 10 knees out of 32(31.3%) following short term immunization. In the serum of the immunized rabbits, rheumatoid factor-like substance (RFLS) appeared 3 weeks after the initial treatment. RFLS was positive in 20 rabbits out of 22 (90.9%) at 15 weeks after the initial treatment. There were two patterns concerning the time or the initial appearance of RFLS. Lymphocyte infiltration in the synovium occurred significantly more frequently in the group in which RFLS appeared before 8 weeks of immunization than in that with RFLS positive after 8 weeks. These findings suggested that arthritic conditions of the rabbits were quite similar to those of rheumatoid arthritis. This animal model is useful in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.