title: Chronic graft-versus-host disease in the rat radiation chimera. III. Immunology and immunopathology in rapidly induced models.
abstract: Although chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) frequently develops in the long-term rat radiation chimera, we present three additional models in which a histologically similar disease is rapidly induced. These include adoptive transfer of spleen and bone marrow from rats with spontaneous chronic GVHD into lethally irradiated rats of the primary host strain; sublethal irradiation of stable chimeras followed by a booster transplant; and transfer of spleen cells of chimeras recovering from acute GVHD into second-party (primary recipient strain) or third-party hosts. Some immunopathologic and immune abnormalities associated with spontaneous chronic GVHD were not observed in one or more of the induced models. Thus, IgM deposition in the skin, antinuclear antibodies, and vasculitis appear to be paraphenomena. On the other hand, lymphoid hypocellularity of the thymic medulla, immaturity of splenic follicles, and nonspecific suppressor cells were consistently present in the long term chimeras, and in all models. These abnormalities therefore may be pathogenetically important, or closely related to the development of chronic GVHD.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D011828:Radiation Chimera; D051381:Rats; D011912:Rats, Inbred ACI; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology