Antibodies against recognition structures: preferential accumulation in lymph nodes draining a corresponding skin graft.

Abstract

Rat antisera directed against recognition structures (RS) were induced by two methods: a) (Lewis × DA)F1 animals inoculated with Lewis or DA lymphoid cells yielded ‘anticellular’ sera of specificity anti‐Lewis RS(DA) and anti‐DA RS(Lewis), respectively, b) (Lewis × DA)F1 animals inoculated with Lewis anti‐DA or DA anti‐Lewis alloantiserum yielded “anti‐alloantisera” of specificity anti‐(Lewis anti‐DA) and anti‐(DA anti‐Lewis), respectively. IgG preparations from these four sera were iodinated with 125I for use in experiments in vivo. Rats in the process of rejecting 2 different skin allografts were injected intravenously with the above radioactive reagents. The radioactivities of the regional nodes draining the 2 grafts were determined 24 h later. It was found that radioactivity accumulated preferentially in those nodes presumed to be enriched in the corresponding RS. Thus, radioactive anti‐DA RS(Lewis) accumulated in nodes draining Lewis allografts, and radioactive anti‐Lewis RS(DA) accumulated in nodes draining DA allografts. Anti‐cellular sera and anti‐alloantisera behaved similarly. These experiments were interpreted as an in vivo demonstration of anti‐RS specificity.