ABSTRACT
To explore me chanisms of successful induction of autoimmunity by chronic Campylobacter jejuni (CJ-S131 ) infection [3, 4, 5, 6], a chronic mucosal immune response mooe(?) was established by oral immunization of BALB /C mice with formalized CJ-S131 bacteria.in a dosage of 4 xlO8 bacterial cells per mouse, twice a week for 14 weeks, which mimicked the released antigens persistently stimulating the mucosal immune system when mice were chronically infected by C. jejuni. It was also found that the immunized mice demonstrated (?)upus-like autoimmune syndro me, sim ilar, but more severe.to those seen in the mice chronically infected by C. jejuni. It was characterized by (1) significant lymphoproliferation of both mucosal and systemic immune systems; (2) polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes; (3) significantly elevated level of multiple autoanti bodies against ss- DNA, ds- DNA and histones; (4) immunocom plex glomerulonephritisi; (5) chronic inflammation of multiple organs or tissues including the intestine, liver and blood vessels. In the polyclonal activation testin vitro, the levels of total immunoglobulins and autoantibody against DNA in the supernatan ts of the splenic culture cells from the immunized mice were significantly higher than that from the controll mice. The results verified that chronic C. jejuni infection in the gut could induce abnormal. chronic mucosal immune response which led to perturbation of the systemic immune system, resulting autoimmunity or autoimmune syndrom.