Major histocompatibility complex regulation of the class of the immune response: the H-2d haplotype determines poor interferon-γ response to several antigens

Abstract

The lymph node cells of CBA (H‐2^k), but not BALB/c (H‐2^d) mice, release interferon (IFN)‐γ into the supernatant when immunized with picryl chloride epicutaneously and then exposed to antigen (haptenized cells) in vitro 4 days later. The failure in IFN‐γ production maps to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC; H‐2^d) in the congenic BALB/c, BALB/k and BALB/b mice. The evidence that this is an MHC regulation of the class of response to a range of antigens and not a classical Ir gene effect is (a) the difference is seen with several antigens including picryl chloride, “oxazolone” and purified protein derivative of tuberculin and (b) BALB/c mice, which fail to produce IFN‐γ, show excellent contact sensitivity to picryl chloride. It was also found that the crosses between responder and nonresponder strains (CBA × BALB/c)F₁ respond to antigen on responder cell but not on nonresponder cells. This influence ofMHC on the class of the immune response is a possible basis for some of the associations of MHC with disease.