REJECTION OF SKIN GRAFTS AND PRODUCTION OF SPECIFIC ISO-HAEMAGGLUTININS BY NORML AND X-IRRADIATED MICE

Abstract

The immune response of normal and X-irradiated mice to skin homografts has been studied by observing the survival of the grafts and by titrating the specific iso-haemagglutinin in serial samples of the host''s serum. Both expressions of the response were depressed to a degree which varied with the dose of radiation, but the haemagglutinin response of mice sensitized to the appropriate iso-antigens before irradiation was more radioresistant than the response of nonsensitized animals. A dose of 400 rads was sufficient to suppress haemagglutinin production completely in non-sensitized mice, while only slightly retarding the rejection of two successive skin homografts. The radiosensitivity of different phases of the immune response, and the relationship between graft rejection and haemagglutinin formation are discussed.