A semiquantitative measure of immune responses against erythropoietic stem cell antigens.

A semiquantitative assay was developed and used to measure the effects of immune responses against 16 independent non-H-2 antigenic loci on erythropoietic stem cells. The assay compares repopulation in genetically anemic WBB6F1-W/Wv recipients that have normal immune responses, and in lethally irradiated WBB6F1 +/+ mice whose immune responses are suppressed by the irradiation. The differences in repopulating ability between these two types of recipients measure how immune responses affect erythropoietic stem cells. Stem cell repopulating abilities for the cells with antigens specified by the Thy-1, H-1, H-24, Ly-1, H-37, and H-17 loci were affected slightly, if at all. Repopulating abilities were moderately reduced by responses against antigens specified by H-15, 16, Ea-2, and Ly-2, 3 loci, and against the differences between the B6 and B10 genotypes, although marrow of these types cured W/Wv recipients. A surprising result occurred for the antigen specified by the H-8 locus, in which immune responses strongly reduced repopulating abilities, although this type of marrow cell cured W/Wv recipients. A comparison of these results with skin graft survival times suggests that the antigens specified by the H-17 and H-24 loci are strongly immunogenic on skin but not on marrow stem cells, while those specified by the H-12 and H-8 loci are strongly immunogenic on marrow stem cells but not on skin.