The Onset and Maturation of the Graft versus Host Reaction in Chickens

When implants of spleen from mature homologous chicken are placed on the chorio-allantoic membranes of chicken eggs, certain of the adult cells rapidly invade the vascular system of the host (Dantchakoff, 1918). Some of these cells colonize the spleen of the host embryo (Biggs & Payne, 1959; Ebert, 1959; Simonsen, 1957) and after a short latent period these adult cells proliferate in the host spleen under the stimulus of continuous exposure to the individual specific foreign antigens of the host. The resulting splenomegaly of the host embryo is generally recognized to be due to the proliferation of these immunologically competent cells. However, the possibility of enhanced mitotic division of spleen cells of the embryonic host being also partly responsible for the splenomegaly has been suggested by Biggs & Payne (1959). This type of transplantation effect has been termed the ‘graft versus host’ reaction (Simonsen, 1957) of which the initial symptoms are splenomegaly and hepatomegaly of the host.

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GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST REACTION ACROSS DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE H-2 COMPLEX OF THE MOUSE

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.137.5.1213 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 137 (5) ◽

pp. 1213-1225 ◽

Cited By ~ 88

Author(s):

Jan Klein ◽

Jong M. Park

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction ◽

Graft Versus Host Reaction ◽

Spleen Cells ◽

Host Reaction ◽

Graft Versus Host ◽

D Region ◽

The Individual ◽

Ir Genes

H-2 crossovers and their parental strains were arranged into 35 combinations in which the adult donor of spleen cells differed from the newborn recipient in the whole H-2 complex, or in three, two, or one region of the complex. A Simonsen splenomegaly assay was then used to test the contribution of the individual H-2 regions to the graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR). It was shown that the strongest GVHR was associated with the Ir region. Differences in the Ir region caused significant splenomegaly in spite of the fact that no antigens detectable by conventional serological methods have thus far been associated with this region. Differences in the K and D regions showed only a borderline effect on GVHR in spite of the fact that these regions code for most, if not all, of the antigens detectable by conventional serological and transplantation methods. The K region alone caused no stronger GVHR than the D legion alone; however, K + Ir region differences led to much stronger GVHR than D region differences. The Ss-Slp region also showed only a borderline effect on GVHR. Differences in two or more H-2 regions usually caused greater splenomegaly than differences in each of the regions separately. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that the strongest GVHR is caused by genes distinct from the known histocompatibility genes of the H-2 complex. It is speculated that the GVHR genes are identical with the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and Ir genes and that the product of these genes are receptors on the surface of the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells).

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Review Lectures on Senescence - II. Heterochronic transplantation in the study of ageing

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.1962.0066 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 157 (966) ◽

pp. 128-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Keyword(s):

The Body ◽

Graft Versus Host Reaction ◽

Central Control ◽

Skin Grafts ◽

Host Reaction ◽

Functional Changes ◽

Graft Versus Host ◽

Special Unit ◽

Immunological Process ◽

The Individual

Tissues and organs from animals of one age can be transplanted to animals of other ages to form age-chimaeras. Such ‘heterochronic’ preparations have been used to study whether the changes which particular components of the body undergo with increasing age depend on differing programmes of change built into the individual organs or upon a single central control, acting generally and provided by the environment—young or old—in which the tissue finds itself. The results and limitations of such transplantation techniques in analyzing functional changes in ageing animals are exemplified in four different experimental situations. 1. Transplantation of a whole organ—ovarian grafts in an analysis of the factors involved in declining reproduction function. 2. Transplantation of a special unit within an organ—ovum transfer in the same analysis. 3. Transplantation of a sample of an organ—skin grafts used to determine ( а ) the potential lifespan of skin and the viability of old skin grafts. ( b ) the capacity of old animals to mount and to sustain the immunological process of homograft rejection. 4. Transplantation of a sample of a population of cells with specialized functions—the behaviour of suspensions of immunologically competent cells from mice of different ages in the graft-versus-host reaction.

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