title: Leukemia prevention and long-term survival of AKR mice transplanted with MHC-matched or MHC-mismatched bone marrow.
abstract: The current studies were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of marrow transplantation within and outside the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the long-term survival and occurrence of spontaneous leukemia in AKR mice. AKR mice, which were lethally irradiated and received MHC-matched marrow from CBA/J mice (CBA----AKR), never developed leukemia and were alive and remained healthy for up to 280 days post-transplant. These long-term surviving chimeras possessed substantial immune vigor when both cell-mediated and humoral responses were tested. Lethally irradiated AKR mice, which had received MHC-mismatched marrow (anti-Thy-1.2 treated or nontreated) from C57BL/6J mice (B6----AKR), never developed leukemia and survived up to 170 days post-transplant. However, both groups of these chimeras began dying 180 to 270 days post-transplant due to a disease process which could not be readily identified. Histological analysis of B6----AKR chimeras revealed severe lymphoid cell depletion in thymus and spleen; however, none of these chimeras exhibited classical features of acute graft versus host disease. Concanavalin A mitogenesis, primary antibody responses to sheep red blood cells and the production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) were suppressed in B6----AKR chimeras. IL-2 treatment of B6----AKR chimeras was shown to partially correct these deficiencies without stimulating mixed lymphocyte responsiveness to donor or host lymphocytes. These studies indicate that the use of MHC-mismatched marrow for the prevention of spontaneous AKR leukemia may rely on augmentative IL-2 therapy for complete immune reconstitution of leukemia-free chimeras.
mesh_terms: D000406:AKR murine leukemia virus; D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005260:Female; D006648:Histocompatibility; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR / Q000276:immunology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011828:Radiation Chimera
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2