T Cell Vaccination as a Tool in the Treatment of Collagen Induced Arthritis in Albino Rats

Background: The effectiveness of T cell vaccination has been demonstrated in a variety of animal models of both induced and spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the T cell vaccination protocol to treat and prevent collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in a rheumatoid arthritis model. Methods: CIA was induced by an intradermal injection of an artheritogen substance at the right paw of each female Albino rat under ether anesthesia. T cells were achieved from spleens of syngeneic rats that developed full clinical features of CIA. Rats suffering from CIA were divided in case groups (4 rats/group) based on the degrees of their disease and were injected intraperitoneally once with a suspension of T cells to investigate the effects of autoreactive T cells on CIA. To investigate the preventive effects of autoreactive T cells on CIA, 12 normal rats were injected intraperitoneally once either with a suspension of T cells or PBS, respectively. The results were evaluated by clinical observation, histopathological and radiographic findings. Results: Intraperitoneal inoculation of T cells to rats suffering from CIA