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Mechanisms of tolerance in murine radiation bone marrow chimeras. I. Nonspecific suppression of alloreactivity by spleen cells from early, but not late, chimeras

Journal Article · · Transplantation; (United States)
OSTI ID:6847456

Allogeneic chimeras were prepared using lethally irradiated B6 hosts and untreated marrow from exsanguinated BALB/c donors. For about two months after reconstitution, chimeras had very weak antihost cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity (CML) reactivity and little third-party alloreactivity. During this time a cell population capable of suppressing CML reactivity against both host and third-party alloantigens (i.e., antigen-nonspecific) was demonstrated in chimera spleens by in vitro mixing experiments. The putative suppressor cells were Thy-1-negative and radiation-sensitive. Subsequently, mature chimeras showed host tolerance and strong third-party alloreactivity. At this point suppressor mechanisms could no longer be demonstrated. These data are consistent with a clonal elimination hypothesis in that they do not provide evidence to indicate that maintenance of specific immune tolerance is mediated by an active suppressor mechanism.

OSTI ID:
6847456
Journal Information:
Transplantation; (United States), Journal Name: Transplantation; (United States) Vol. 36:4; ISSN TRPLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English