Experimental studies on genetically determined susceptibility to mercury-induced autoimmune response.

Individual differences in susceptibility may be caused by genetical as well as external variables. In mice as well as rats, autoimmune response can be induced by mercury or gold. The present data demonstrates that the autoimmune response depends qualitatively on the H-2 haplotype. If a strain of mice does not have the susceptible haplotype, no autoimmunity will be induced. However, even among the responding strains significant differences were observed. A clear correlation exists between renal mercury deposition and the autoimmune response in susceptible strains of mice. There was a threshold for induction of the autoimmune response in genetically susceptible mice. When exposure was interrupted, the mercury deposition decreased as did the antinucleolar antibody titre. Thresholds exist within susceptible strains below which no autoimmune response is induced.