The allogeneic affect in vitro: activation of antibody synthesis in aggressor and target lymphocyte populations by allogeneic interaction.

Abstract

AbstractNormal F1 hybrid spleen cells, interacted in tissue culture with cortisone‐resistant thymocytes (CRT) of parental origin, were activated to increased antibody synthesis against SRC (sheep red cells) as compared to F1 hybrid lymphocytes mixed with syngeneic CRT. However, an equal or greater stimulation occurred when parental spleen cells were mixed with F1 hybrid CRT as compared to syngeneic mixtures. When the experiments were performed in cultures containing fetal calf serum, large doses of T cells suppressed the immune response to SRC in both directions. Supernatants from a mixture of parental CRT and normal F1 spleen cells stimulated the immune response of both parental and F1 spleen cells to SRC.Analogous results were obtained when the secondary response was studied. Thus, spleen cells from mice hyperimmunized to SRC were activated to increased synthesis of indirect plaque‐forming cells by allogeneic confrontation. However, hyperimmune parental spleen cells were activated by confrontation with nonimmune F1 lymphocytes to the same extent or more than hyperimmune F1 spleen cells mixed with normal parental cells.It is concluded that the stimulating effect on the immune response caused by allogeneic interaction does not exhibit specificity for the genotype of the target B lymphocytes. Possible mechanisms by which specificity can be detected by in vivo experiments are discussed.