The allogeneic effect in inbred mice. I. Experimental conditions for the enhancement of hapten-specific secondary antibody responses by the graft-versus-host reaction.

The administration of allogeneic lymphoid cells to 2,4-dinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP-KLH)-primed mice prepares such recipients for markedly enhanced secondary anti-DNP antibody responses to a DNP conjugate of a heterologous carrier. This allogeneic effect phenomenon, reflecting the development of a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction, was first described in guinea pigs and has been extended in the present studies to inbred mice. The expression of the allogeneic effect in mice is dependent upon critical factors such as the number and route of administration of allogeneic cells, the time interval between cell transfer and secondary challenge, and the strength of histocompatibility differences between the donor and the host. The transient GVH reaction established by the transfer of allogeneic cells obviates the requirement for carrier-specific helper T cells in secondary anti-DNP responses, as evidenced by the ability to elicit such responses with DNP-D-GL, a substance which presumably does not stimulate effective T cell helper function. These studies also demonstrate that primed B cells which are not an integral part of the active GVH reaction fail to produce enhanced levels of antibody.