Survival of mouse skin isografts from leukemic donors.

Abstract

AbstractBreyere and Williams (1964) have reported partial and complete rejection of skin isografts from leukemic donors transplanted to nonleukemic recipients. The present studies were performed to determine if the same phenomenon could be demonstrated with other leukemia viruses in different inbred mouse strains. Inbred mice which were inoculated with either 334‐C leukemia virus or Friend virus served as donors of skin isografts after development of leukemia. Skin grafts were transplanted to either normal mice or immunized mice which had received injections of 334‐C leukemia cells or Friend virus prior to skin grafting. All mice had control isografts. Results showed nearly 100% survival of control isografts. An almost identical percentage of grafts from 334‐C leukemic donors survived in normal recipients (88.4%) as in immunized donors (87.5%). However, skin from mice with Friend leukemia was rejected in a higher percentage of immunized mice (50%) than non‐immunized mice (30%). No takes of skin from leukemic donors were observed in a mouse strain naturally immune to induction of Friend leukemia. Results in the Friend leukemia system support Breyere's concept of an immunologic mechanism of syngenic skin graft rejection, whereas those in the 334‐C leukemia system do not. Possible explanations for the conflicting data from the 334‐C leukemia studies are discussed.