Resistance to adjuvant arthritis induced by a genetic mutation, osteopetrosis.

Adjuvant arthritis stands as the closest model to human rheumatoid arthritis. A genetic mutation (op) recognized to provoke osteopetrosis in rats, completely inhibits their ability to develop adjuvant arthritis. Osteopetrosis in the op mutant is linked to deficiencies in T-lymphocytes and macrophages functions. Therefore this animal model may be helpful for a better understanding of the immunoregulation impairment involved in adjuvant arthritis.