title: Strain-dependent leakiness of mice with severe combined immune deficiency.
abstract: Mice with immunodeficiency provide an excellent in vivo model for cell transfer experiments. In this study, we compare the extent of immune deficiency of the original CB17 severe combined immune-deficient (SCID) mice with that of two other strains of immune-deficient mice, the recently developed C3H SCID mice and the beige/nude/X-linked immune-deficient (BNX) mice. Detectable levels of serum lg (higher than 0.4 microgram/ml) were found in 79% of CB17 SCID mice studied (n = 24) and in all BNX mice (n = 12); some leaky CB17 SCID mice had normal levels of Ig. In contrast, only 15% of C3H SCID mice (n = 61) had detectable serum lg; the highest Ig level in this strain was 9.6 micrograms/ml. Age had no effect on serum Ig concentrations of C3H SCID mice; in contrast, all old (> 1-year-old) CB17 SCID mice studied had detectable levels of serum Ig. Transfer of syngeneic, normal, neonatal thymocytes increased serum Ig of SCID mouse origin to near-normal levels in all CB17 SCID mice but had no effect on serum lg concentrations in C3H SCID mice. Treatment with anti-asialo-GM-1 antiserum to abrogate NK cell activity increased serum Ig levels in 37% of CB17 SCID mice but had no effect on Ig production in C3H SCID mice. Flow cytometric analysis failed to identify mature T or B cells in C3H SCID mice; in contrast, some leaky CB17 SCID mice had detectable numbers of T and B cells in the peritoneal cavity. After immunization with bacteriophage phi X 174, neither C3H nor CB17 SCID mice, including leaky mice, produced specific antibody to phage. In contrast, BNX mice produced small but significant amounts of anti-phage antibody. These results indicate that, of the three strains of immune-deficient mice, C3H SCID mice have the most severe immune defect. We predict that C3H SCID mice will be best suited for cell transfer experiments.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Nonoyama
authors: F O
authors: FO
authors: Smith
authors: I D
authors: ID
authors: Bernstein
authors: H D
authors: HD
authors: Ochs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D010584:Bacteriophage phi X 174 / Q000276:immunology; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D016513:Mice, SCID / Q000276:immunology*; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007106:Immune Sera; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C018835:asialo GM1 ganglioside