# IMMUNE RESPONSE IN MYCOPLASMA-INDUCED ARTHRITIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA · 1989 · $58,419

## Abstract

Mycoplasma arthritidis is a natural cause of arthritis and
subclinical infection in rats.  Arthritis is characteristically self-
limited but may persist in chronic form in some animals.  Infected
rats do not express neutralizing or opsonizing antibodies against
M. arthritidis, and M. arthritidis is anti-phagocytic for murine
macrophages and PMNs.  However, convalescent and immunized
rats are highly resistant to reinfection and challenge,
respectively.  Marked virulence differences have been observed
for different M. arthritidis strains, but the basis for this remains
unknown.  The immune response to surface antigens plays a key
role in this disease.  The specific aim of this project is to
characterize the major surface antigens involved in adherence to
host tissues, resistance to phagocytosis, and virulence differences
among strains.  Specific antibodies produced by rats against
surface antigens will also be characterized in terms of their
immunoglobulin class and subclass, protective capacity, ability to
block adherence, expression of neutralizing or opsonizing activity,
and recognition of antigens of heterologous as well as homologous
strains.  Methods will include one- and two-dimensional
electrophoresis, immunoblotting, radioimmunoprecipitation,
serologic assays, and assays for measuring phagocytosis,
opsonization, and peritoneal clearance mechanisms.  This work
should provide useful and broadly applicable information on host-
parasite interaction at the level of the cell surface.  This is the
site of initial contact between host and parasite and the location
of those microbial antigens which are most important in
pathogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158350
- **Project number:** 5R01AR037946-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** U9EDNSCHTBE7
- **Principal Investigator:** LEIGH R WASHBURN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $58,419
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1988-02-01 → 1991-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158350

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158350, IMMUNE RESPONSE IN MYCOPLASMA-INDUCED ARTHRITIS (5R01AR037946-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158350. Licensed CC0.

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