Immune status of irradiated mice treated with adult bone marrow and fetal hematopoietic tissue.

Abstract

The inconsistent antibody response by the long-term survivors of isologous bone marrow (IBM)-treated mice was in contrast to past studies indicating a completely normal immune mechanism. The following explanations for the extrems variation in response observed in the 4 strains reported here are possible: (a) irreversible damage to the host's immune system by the lethal irradiation and failure of the grafted donor tissue to effect a recovery; or (b) a genetic alteration in either the grafted isologous hematopoietic cells or the host tissue, sufficient to simulate a homologous donor-host situation and consequently to lead to an immunologic disorder. To what extent these variables may influence the immune mechanism of IBM- and also the homologous fetal liver (HFL)- and homologous adult bone marrow (HBM)-treated animals is only speculative. In any event, it is apparent that transplantation of a compatible graft in the irradiated recipient does not neccessarily connote a normal physiologic status. The inability to distinguish by gross histologic examination those animals that were poor responders in the HFL-treated mice suggests that future studies on immune status of irradiated chimeras be performed by the in vivo cell tissue culture techniques developed by Makinodan et al., rather than by utilizing the wholemore » animal. In this manner, individual organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes could be tested individually and more quantitative estimations be made on their functional immune status relative to the normal. (auth)« less