Popliteal lymph node assay, autoimmunity

Descotes, J., The popliteal lymph node assay A tool for studying the mechanisms of drug-induced autoimmune disorders. Toxicol. Lett., 64-65 Spec No, 101,1992. 

There are no established assays that reliably assess potential for autoimmunity and acute systemic hypersensitivity. The popliteal lymph node assay (PLNA) has only a relatively small database available for assessing its usefulness for drug regulatory purposes. 

The adverse effects of D-penicillamine in animals are similar to those observed in humans. A study on the effects of D-penicillamine in various strains of mice indicated that D-penicillamine facilitates the induction of autoantibodies in animals with an inherent susceptibility to autoimmunity (Brik et al., 1995). Studies using the popliteal lymph node assay demonstrated that D-penicillamine is capable of inducing an antigen (i.e. compound)-specific T cell response controlled by non-MHC as well as MHC-linked genetic loci (Hurtenbach et al., 1987). 

In summary, high priority has to be given to the validation of the popliteal lymph node assay (or other local lymph node approaches) and to the further development of predictive animal assays using routes of exposure that are more directly relevant to the human experience. These advancements would significantly enhance the usefulness of animal models and testing strategies for autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases. 

Shinkai K, Nakamura K, Tsutsui N, Kuninishi Y, Iwaki Y, Nishida H, Suzuki R, Vohr HW, Takahashi M, Takahashi K, Kamimura Y, Maki E (1999) Mouse popliteal lymph node assay for assessment of allergic and autoimmunity-inducing potentials of low-molecular-weight drugs. J Toxicol Sci, 24(2) 95-102. 

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