Effect of the graft-versus-host reaction on the immunological responsiveness of the mouse

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Abstract
Graft-versus-host reaction has been induced in unirradiated adult (C57BLxCBA)F1hybrid mice by intravenous injection of parent-line spleen cells, and the capacity of the injected animals to react to first-set and second-set grafts ofA-line skin, and toSalm. typhiH antigen, has been investigated. Injection ofCBAcells resulted in little or no loss of weight, a low mortality, little or no impairment of the recipient’s capacity to react toAskin or to the bacterial antigen when encountered for the first time, and no loss of pre-existing immunity toAskin. Injection of (40 to 100) x 106C57BLcells on the other hand resulted in severe loss of weight and diarrhoea, often culminating in death. Surviving non-immunized animals reacted feebly to the bacterial antigen and some were slower than normal in rejecting first-set grafts ofAskin. Pre-existing immunity toAskin was lost except in the special case when the spleen cell donor had itself been immunized againstAskin. It is concluded that severe graft-versus-host reaction depresses the host’s immunological reactivity, but that the foreign cells may enable the host to muster a variety of immunological reactions by proxy.