We describe a novel experimental system in mice for the study of ovarian autoimmune disease, a condition encountered in women with premature ovarian failure. The ovarian autoimmune disease is induced in B6AF1 mice by a 15-amino acid peptide (Cys-Ser-Asn-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Gln-Phe-Gln-Ile-HisGly-Pro-Arg) from mouse ZP3, the sperm-binding component of the zona pellucida that surrounds growing and mature oocytes. Whereas the peptide induces both T cell and antibody responses, adoptive transfer of CD4' T cell lines derived from affected animals causes oophoritis without observable antibodies to the zona pellucida peptide. The primacy of the T cell response in the pathogenesis of disease is further substantiated by defining oophoritogenic peptides as small as eight amino acids (Asn-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Gln-Phe-Gln) that do not elicit an antibody response to the full-length ZP3 peptide. The identification of a well characterized peptide as a causative agent of autoimmune oophoritis should facilitate understanding of the pathogenesis of this T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Because the proteins of the zona pellucida are conserved among mammals (the mouse and human ZP3 proteins are 67% identical), this murine model may lead to better understanding of the pathogenesis of human autoimmune oophoritis. (J. Clin. Invest. 1992. 89:28-35.)

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This paper reviews current scientific information about the duration of immunity induced in dogs by infection or vaccination. It describes the shortcomings of the methods used to measure the immune responses of dogs, and explains the need for basic studies on the nature of protective humoral and cellular responses, and standardised assays for the long-term duration of immunity to pathogens other than rabies. The information is inadequate to warrant uniform recommendations on the ideal intervals for vaccination; each vaccine must be evaluated on the basis of its own merits and the characteristics of the disease it is intended to guard against.

Inflammatory changes following infection are central to the clinical manifestation of disease. However, information regarding such changes in animal disease is limited. In canine parvovirus infected puppies we measured the levels of acute phase proteins and changes in leukocyte phenotypes and cell trafficking by flow cytometry. These parameters correlated with conventional assessment of clinical disease in a vaccine efficacy study. Seropositive (CPV-2) 6-week-old puppies given three doses of a CPV-2 containing vaccine developed significant antibody titers and remained healthy after experimental infection with CPV-2b. Unvaccinated controls developed clinical signs and shed virus. Importantly, acute phase proteins became elevated, and lymphopenia, neutropenia and modulation of neutrophil-CD4 were detected in controls but not in vaccinates.

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