Antigenic Activity of Various Tissues in Transplantation Immunity

Abstract

Using coisogenic strains of mice differing by a single, weak histocompatibility gene at the H-3 locus, it was shown that various donor tissues differed greatly in ability to induce transplantation immunity. Skin grafts, epidermal cells, and renal epithelial cells were antigenically effective. Lymphoid cells injected intraperitoneally failed to induce immunity. Similar lymphoid cells gave marginal immunity when administrered by other routes and, when injected into newborn mice, rendered them highly tolerant of later skin grafts. It was concluded that the tissues studied may contain identical complements of transplantation antigens and that the basis of the different abilities of the various tissues to induce immunity may reside in the location of antigens within the cells, and in the interaction between grafted cells and the host.