title: Identification of a major susceptibility locus for lethal graft-versus-host disease in MHC-matched mice.
abstract: Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hemopoietic cell transplantation. From a genetic perspective, GVHD is a complex phenotypic trait. Although it is understood that susceptibility results from interacting polymorphisms of genes encoding histocompatibility Ags and immune regulatory molecules, a detailed and integrative understanding of the genetic background underlying GVHD remains lacking. To gain insight regarding these issues, we performed a forward genetic study. A MHC-matched mouse model was used in which irradiated recipient BALB.K and B10.BR mice demonstrate differential susceptibility to lethal GHVD when transplanted using AKR/J donors. Assessment of GVHD in (B10.BR x BALB.K)F(1) mice revealed that susceptibility is a dominant trait and conferred by deleterious alleles from the BALB.K strain. To identify the alleles responsible for GVHD susceptibility, a genome-scanning approach was taken using (B10.BR x BALB.K)F(1) x B10.BR backcross mice as recipients. A major susceptibility locus, termed the Gvh1 locus, was identified on chromosome 16 using linkage analysis (logarithm of the odds, 9.1). A second locus was found on chromosome 13, named Gvh2, which had additive but protective effects. Further identification of Gvh genes by positional cloning may yield new insight into genetic control mechanisms regulating GVHD and potentially reveal novel approaches for effective GVHD therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84132, USA. thai.cao@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Thai M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lazzeroni
authors.forename: Schickwann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Wendy W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.forename: Alun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shizuru
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006183:H-2 Antigens; C024755:H-2K(K) antigen