Alloimmunization: induction of antileukemic reactivity without modification of anti-host reactivity in H-2-compatible mice

Abstract

Transplanted immunocompetent cells from CBA (H-2k) mice immunized against individual or pooled lymphoid cells from various allogeneic strains resulted in the elimination of widely disseminated leukemia cells in AKR (H-2k) host mice as measured in a GVL bioassay. In most cases, alloimmunization resulted in reactivity against AKR-L comparable to that observed when CBA donors were specifically immunized with irradiated AKR-L cells. Cells from unimmunized or isoimmunized CBA mice had no detectable GVL reactivity. Alloimmunization caused no increase in the mild GVH reactivity of unimmunized or isoimmunized CBA lymphoid cells transplanted into lethally irradiated nonleukemic AKR hosts; whereas, specific immunization with AKR-LX cells resulted in significantly increased GVH-related mortality.