Antibody Formation by Transplanted Bone Marrow, Spleen, Lymph Nodes and Thymus Cells in Irradiated Recipients

Abstract

Summary Immunologic competence of immunized mouse bone marrow, spleen, lymph node and thymus cells was demonstrated when specific recall tetanus antitoxin responses were elicited after transfer of these cells to isologous irradiated recipients. Lesser amounts of antibody were obtained as the genetic strain distance was increased between the relationship of donor and host in the parental to F1 and in the homologous combination within the same species. It was not possible in the heterologous situation to elicit significant amounts of antibody from rat bone marrow and other lymphoid cells following their transplantation into irradiated mice. Minimal but not significant antibody responses were elicited from cells obtained from immunized rat spleen and thymus tissue. In a few experiments, it was possible to elicit antibody formation from a buffy coat suspension of circulating white cells following their transfer to irradiated recipients. Isologous nonimmunized bone marrow did not stimulate or hasten recovery of the ability to elicit secondary antibody responses in previously immunized irradiated mice. The capacity to elicit primary antibody responses to tetanus toxoid was depressed in parental bone marrow protected F1 mice when these chimeras exhibited varying degrees of secondary disease. The depression of primary antibody responses in irradiated F1 mice given parental bone marrow provides evidence for a donor mediated immunologic depression of antibody synthesis by host-lymphoid tissues.